The Frayed Edges of a Rising Sun
by EssaTheTwerp
Summary: Freddie Call imprints on Maribel Castillo, the daughter of a man involved with the mafia. Will he find a way to meet and talk to her? A story about fighting for love and breaking down barriers. Written in the universe created by yay4shanghai. Complete.
1. The Ache In My Chest, Healed

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does. **

**And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.**

**I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!**

**This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five. Also, the story takes place in Ecuador, therefor the characters are all speaking Spanish. **

**I hope everyone will take the time to review! Without further ado, the beginning...**

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Chapter One – The Ache in my Chest, Healed

* * *

I breathed in the scent of the city, the aroma of smoke and fresh pastries filling my nostrils. I had missed it, the different smells of Quito.

I'd missed everything from the place that had become my home in the past few years, which was a small shared apartment, so small you could barely fit two people in it comfortably.

I'd also missed the hustle and bustle, people shouting and running to different places, as though they were permanently in a hurry. The mountain atmosphere and scenery was something I longed for as well. I loved looking out a certain window and seeing the beautiful rise and fall of a peak. I'd even missed my friends, annoying as they were. There had been a small ache in my chest, growing with each passing day I wasn't in the place I now called home. To be back filled now me with an impossible joy, my whole body on high alert. I was also immediately used to the shortage of oxygen; though it doesn't bother me near as much as it had when I'd returned to Quito for the first time.

Though, I wasn't most excited about any of those things. No, I was ecstatic about going back to university. All my life that was the thing I wanted to accomplish; learning. I was so different from my sister, who was always dreaming of going out, running and screaming and having fun with other people. I was content with staying inside, reading a book. I wasn't always supremely happy, but it was enough.

I wasn't necessarily a bookworm as a child, I would sometimes go deep into the forests of my hometown La Push with my friend Randy and inspect the trees and wildlife, trying to memorize and categorize each species. I was thrilled whenever I learned I'd committed something to memory, able to reach deep into my mind and draw it out if necessary.

In my childhood when I'd been locked in the house, forced to play in the basement with sometimes only my sister, Soledad to keep me company, and the weekly visits from Randy and Annie, I had dreamed as much as Soli.

In each book I immersed myself in, I had read of amazing places and sights, colleges and universities teaching people things you could only learn so much about on paper. I wanted to study abroad, travel and meet new people, or even find an amazing place and stay there, learning things from world-renowned professors.

I was especially interested in different languages and cultures, carefully making out lists of books for my father to get me at the bookstore in Port Angeles. I wanted some that taught me Italian, French, and even acquired a book about sign language. I had a yearning to be well taught in languages, able to communicate in any place I may go.

Eventually I did become well learned in each of those languages, along with my mother coaching me in her mother tongues, Spanish and Portuguese.

Sometimes, I'd get lucky and get my mom to take me to a library in Seattle or Port Angeles, and I'd browse through the newspapers, searching for foreign ones. I particularly enjoyed reading about the different politics of the nation, scoffing at the things I viewed wrong, and getting myself worked up when I found that someone I'd been rooting for had conquered an election.

When I wasn't immersing myself in different books and stories, I'd call or visit my friends. I was generally friends with all kids in the pack, but my very best friends were Randy Dru and Annie Wahalla. Randy and my time alone was usually filled with blabbering about our impossible loves, though I was sometimes grossed out at the prospect that Randy was in love with my sister…

There was only so much that had kept me sane all those years— one of those things being Annabelle Wahalla. Annie had befriended me before any other, even Randy, talking to me even though I at times looked younger way beyond her years. She was very understanding though, knowing that my intelligence had matched hers, and possibly even exceeded it.

As the years grew, I begrudgingly knew exactly what was happening. First, we were merely friends, than grew closer and closer until we were best friends. Soon, we were spending all of our free time with each other, until despite the stupidity of it, I developed a strong crush on her and finally, fell in love with her. And I would definitely have pursued her, if only she hadn't been claimed. She was the imprint of Brady, had been since she was first born.

I honestly couldn't help but fall in love with her; she was a Wahalla after all. They had all been graced with exceptional looks, and not only was her appearance beautiful, she had a lovely soul as well. Her kindness reached to all, her smile lighting up the world. But even if I tried to make her fall in love with me, I would fail miserably. She had long been in love with Brady and that would never change. I'd been lucky enough to snatch a kiss from her before I left, but I knew it was a gesture and could never be anything else.

So I'd traveled with my family, though at first it took some getting used to. I was happy to finally begin to see the world but I missed the things I took for granted. Soli was miserable and more bitter than usual without her imprint Randy. She was distracted though, by the sites of South America, thank god. We stayed shortly in some places, longer in others depending on how much there was to do and see. Leaving Quito that first time was hardest, I felt a draw there a call to the city, but there was so much more my mother wanted us to see, this huge world she had traversed many times.

As we went to Europe and farther away from La Push, Soli became much more depressed. Mom and dad encouraged her to go back and be with him but she was stubbornly rejecting her imprint. The end of journey came early when I phased in Volterra, something I had never planned for. My sister caved, too restless to continue on to the orient and with this new responsibility as wolf on my shoulder I freaked. I wanted the hustle and bustle of Quito and an education, I had dreamed of it. I had no desire to run around with fur on. So, both Soli and I packed our bags. My sister finally on her way back to Randy, though she was persistently denying it was for him and I finished the summer in Europe with my parents before heading to a university in Quito.

Finally having my wishes come true was beyond exhilarating. I worked harder and harder each day, pouring over my textbooks. My classmates may have said that I over studied every quiz, test, and exam we ever had, but I didn't care what they thought of me.

In my travels, I'd made several friends. Hector and Aldo had first been acquainted me during my brief experience in Ecuador before heading to Europe, and I'd managed to miraculously keep in touch with them. When I got back our friendship eventually grew to seeing each other almost everyday; becoming closer and closer. Things had been going pretty well, I was dating and having fun. Hector and Aldo both took me to different restaurants and clubs every other night, and I was getting top marks in every class I was taking. But, then I got a call from Jacob, and it stopped everything. Annie had been kidnapped… by leeches. It was like everything had frozen at that, my entire world suddenly becoming muddled. Confused again.

I was suddenly plummeted back into the feelings I had for her and I had no idea what to do about it. I realized with chagrin I was still, if even only a little, in love with her. I could tell by the fear the seized me, body and soul, as soon as I heard. I was finally getting over Annie, and then she was put in this horrible danger. Worry encased me on my journey, but not about me or my safety, considering we'd be having a war, no, it was for her.

Unfortunately, I wasn't on my way to La Push to fight for her. Instead, I was going to Volterra to protect the families there with my father, and Ethan. Nothing much happened to us, all the action turned out to be centered in La Push.

My heart had soared when I learned of Annie's safe return, but soon crashed again as I learned of other news. Devlin Varn's death crushed everyone in the pack.

I stayed in Europe for a couple months, grieving slowly with Ethan, Elena, and the rest of my family. My mother and father were much sadder than me, and I chose to be there for them. Finally, I decided to suck it up and prepare to return, deciding it was best to move on than to dwindle and dwell on Devlin's death.

So now, here I was, back in Quito forgetting my lost love and my sorrowful time in Europe, making up for it with what I hoped to be studious adventures, learning more valuable information with each passing moment.

"It's been so long since I've last seen you!" I turned to see my old friend, Aldo, grinning at me. A smile of my own slid across my face as I stepped forward, hugging him for a quick second before turning back to Hector.

"You've both grown so much," I acknowledged them, nodding. They shook their heads, both staring at him in fake amazement, smirking.

"I could say the same for you," Aldo noted before adding, "It's been too long." A laugh escaped their lips after this, as we had been remembering and copying the same conversation we had when I had first returned to Quito from Europe. Now we calmed down, relaxing into chairs in their restaurant.

"Yes, almost two months," Hector agreed, the fluid roll of his Spanish was lubricated by his honey saturated voice. I rolled my eyes at them both.

Hector had met me graciously at the airport hours away. We'd chatted idly most of the time, talking about different things, such as how much things had changed. It was strange that the two months in Europe had been life altering for not only me, but Hector and Aldo as well.

Hector had finally committed to a relationship after years of going through woman after woman, a real ladies man as some would call him. But he'd gone all gibberish on me when talking about Sofia, speaking in a language I don't think anybody could make out except those in puppy love or those foolishly desperate for their girlfriend. I was proud of him though; Hector wasn't one to express much of his emotions, so I knew Sofia must be a special girl to him.

I was surprised that he could mature all that much from when I first met them, when they'd been merely eighteen. I led them to believe I was eighteen at the time as well. Now, though, we were all older, more learned. I guess it shouldn't have surprised me too much if they grew up in that time.

I feared at first that Hector could sense some changes to me that were incredibly strange. For one, my sweltering heat. Not that I hadn't been hot before, I just didn't get in close proximity, as he had to do on the long car ride up the mountains. Neither Hector nor Aldo owned a vehicle, therefore there was no need to get close. But Hector mentioned nothing of it the whole ride.

"So where is this wife I here so much about," I now inquired to Aldo, who raised his eyebrows at Hector in annoyance. Hector had complained in great detail to me about Hectors' wife, Valeria, in the ride as well.

He ranted that she was nagging continuously on Aldo, who seemed obliviously in love with her, and that she hated Hector with all the spite in her. But by the way Hector was talking about her, the fire in his eyes as he ragged on her, you could tell he did indeed care about her. .

"She's upstairs, preparing for tomorrow," Aldo informed me, crossing his arms. "She'll be down any second."

By preparing for tomorrow, I assumed he meant she was getting ready the restaurant that Aldo and Hector had started, Valeria partaking in it also since marrying him. I was impressed to be informed from Hector that she'd been putting her heart and soul into their business.

"I can't believe you got married without me!" I glared at him and he shrugged sheepishly. We had become very close in our years together, dare I say as close as Randy, Annie, and I had once been.

"Her father doubted our relationship, so we wanted to get married as soon as possible," he shrugged. I sighed in understanding.

"Her father was more traditional, wasn't he?" Aldo nodded, looking a bit sad. Quito was an amazing place, it really was. But there were always a few pig heads in every country, and there were places full of men that believed women were useless. They were traditional in the prospect that they decided their daughter's husband, wanting to make the decisions for them.

"Does she believe in that stuff?" I asked him, hoping the answer was no. My own mother was strong, stronger than a lot of woman I'd ever seen, and she taught me that all women could be like her if they wanted. I knew from a very young age that chauvinism was wrong.

"No," he stated proudly, a smile crossing his lips.

"'No what?" A young girl asked, suddenly emerging from the restaurant's back room. She was short, maybe five-four or five-three. Her thick, black hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail. She looked to be about twenty, her hands strangely small compared to the rest of her.

"Ah, you must be Fredrico. We've met before, no?" She asked, eyes scanning over me almost judgmentally.

"Yes, once," I confirmed. I could see from the way she carried herself, so sure and poised, that she saw herself as one to be respected and not messed with. I knew that I would put myself on her hit list if I even made one sarcastic comment, not that that was something I tended to do. I wondered briefly if that was why she seemed to dislike Hector so greatly.

"Well it's great to meet you again," she smiled softly, "Aldo tells me you speak fluent English. Is this true?" She asked, cocking her head to the side slightly as she waited for my answer.

"Yes, English is one of my first languages." I answered her and she grinned widely, as though in relief. Maybe Hector wasn't exaggerating when he said she likes English more.

"Good. English is more complicated speak; but I enjoy more." She said breaking the flow of our conversation with her thickly accented English. She seemed to not know what to say at times, but smiled throughout her sentence nonetheless.

"Remember, your husband is horrible at English." Aldo spoke up, coming around to hook his arms around her waist. She giggled and settled into his side.

"Lo siento," she apologized softly, standing tall to leave him a soft kiss on the cheek. He turned red at this, but tightened his grip on her.

"Should we eat now?" Aldo asked after Valeria nestled into the crook of his arm, her arms crossed tightly over his chest. We all nodded. Despite me eating several times on the journey up, I was still starving, my stomach rumbling uncomfortably.

"You want to go to Pilar's?" Valeria asked us. Despite Hector and Aldo's lacking knowledge of English, I could tell by the eager nod of their heads they understood her question.

Pilar's was a restaurant we went to all the time, so much so that a waitress memorized our names. Its food was spicy as hell, but so good we had to keep coming back.

As we exited the building, I looked around me, my chest once again swelling with happiness as I took in my surroundings. Familiar restaurants and booths stood around me, the same people I'd befriended stood behind the windows, calling out to possible customers.

The sun was setting, sending a pink and purple glow on the stone streets. Since Pilar's was only a couple blocks down, it was perfect to walk. The air was cool, but it didn't bother me. As Aldo and Valeria talked softly to one another beside me, I turned to Hector, who was watching them with a funny expression on his face… Not hatred or annoyance… it was more like, jealousy?

"Hector, tell me more about Sofia," I nodded to him. He turned bright red, even the tip of his ears. I saw him glance at Valeria several time before shrugging, watching his feet drag across the ground. I raised my eyebrows at him. And then I realized…

The way he had been looking at Aldo and Valeria with such jealousy, the way he ranted about her being so horrible… was that to convince himself he wasn't in love with her? And the gibberish rants, were those because he didn't know exactly what to say, he didn't want to give too much away?

"Is Sofia, Valeria?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in disbelief. His already red face seemed to deepen a shade, and he slid an offended face on.

"Qué? No, no, no!" He said, his voice raising and lowering a few octaves. He managed to keep it at a lower volume, though, and neither Aldo nor Valeria heard him. Shaking my head, I decided to sort it through tonight and help him tomorrow. I could do nothing about it tonight.

"How can you say that," Hector suddenly mumbled, still shaking his head in a disbelieving manner.

"Perdón," I sighed, clapping him on the back once. This situation reminded me of home. There were so many complications to love and imprints, I was relieved I hadn't fallen in love again or imprinted. We walked in silence most of the rest of the way, the sky getting darker each second, the light dancing around the streets. There was still the noise around us though, filling in the comfortable silence.

Soon, we came upon one of the busier streets, cars whizzing past without a care for anybody else. We had to be extra careful as we crossed, avoiding getting hit. It wouldn't matter if I did get hit, of course, but I really didn't want to raise suspicious after all this time hiding the secret.

We had just gotten onto the sidewalk, when quite suddenly, my stomach seemed to drop. I froze for a diminutive moment before spinning around. There was a black stretch limo to the left of me, slowly inching its way up the street, stuck behind a horde of cars. I could easily see through the window though it was tinted. There was a woman sitting with her back to it, nervously mumbling to another girl, who I couldn't see at all. My heart started pounding erratically in my chest as I cracked my knuckles.

"¿Qué haces?" I heard Aldo question, and slowly turned away from the limo. At the same moment, traffic seemed to pick up, and it weaved in front of the car ahead of it to the other lane, before speeding away. I shook my head, murmuring a quick apology before running to catch up with the group. But this weird sensation had entered my body, a prickling feeling rolling over my skin. The hair on my neck seemed to be standing up, and my fingers drummed nervously against my thighs.

"What's wrong?" Valeria questioned in her Spanish accent, noticing my nervousness.

"I don't know… I really don't know."


	2. She Was Perfect, I Was Lost

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does. **

**And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.**

**I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!**

**This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five. Also, the story takes place in Ecuador, therefor the characters are all speaking Spanish.**

**Thanks so much for all the review!! Hopefully everyone will take the short time to review and let me know whatcha think again! **

* * *

Chapter Two - She Was Perfect, I Was Lost

* * *

As we approached the restaurant, more and more cars were lining up, eager to eat there. It wasn't necessarily one of the best restaurants in Quito, but for anyone looking for spice in their food, it was popular.

The outside part of the building was red brick; the windows had dark curtains pulled over them. They were draped and it had the restaurant's name painted in large loopy green letters above the doorway. There were several ivy plants growing against the wall, poking through cracks in the walls and windows. They gave the place an old, almost creepy look, but it attracted business more and more each day.

"I can't believe I only started to eat here two months ago!" Valeria sighed with regret as we approached the door. "I find the food to be so good," she added, "I'm so lucky to have a man that is able to take me there so frequently." She said brightly. She paused ever so slightly to fling a small glare at Hector, who deliberately looked away.

"Si," Hector agreed. She paused for a fraction of a second, a light coloring of pink spreading across her cheeks, before sending him a stifling glare. He shut his mouth tight, continuing to stare at the sidewalk.

Aldo led the way into Pilar's, pushing past the thick black blankets streaming from the ceiling to an entryway. There were two benches settled against the wall, and a maître de centered in the middle of the walkway. There were thick black curtains behind the man as well. Two torches glowed as they hung against the walls, sending a ghostly light around the room.

"We would like a table for four, please," Hector stepped up, sliding the man some money. The man smirked, rolling his eyes.

"Cinco minutos, señor," he said in a surprisingly low voice, tucking the money in his pocket. He disappeared before shortly reappearing, motioning for us to follow.

It was strange to be back in Pilar's after months of eating in the grand dining rooms of Volterra. Esme and Carlisle had been gracious with each meal, catering to all the wolves, half-vampires, and even the few humans of the castle, wholeheartedly.

The main dining room of Pilar's was decorated with mostly black blankets and tarps, draping over windows, walls, and doorways. The only light came from torches lined up along the wall, as well as the entryway. It was far from formal, though.

"This way please," the waiter addressed us, pointing to a table to the left of us. It was square, a red blanket thrown over it. White candles and chairs were placed around it, one on each side of the table.

Each of us sat down, smiling at the waiter in a way to dismiss him. Once Aldo pulled out a chair for Valeria, he all but sprinted around the table to get a chair for himself out. Hector kept sending small glances Valeria's way, his eyes studying her features admiringly before diverting themselves.

We picked our menus up, and I looked through each dish carefully trying to remember which of them were my favorites, it had been much too long.

"Shall we order?" Hector murmured after a moment of scanning our menus. That was another thing unique about Pilar's… When you were ready to order, you called the waiter to your table with a small bell in the center of it. In all my travels, I had never encountered another place like this.

"I am ready." Valeria looked at each of us, "Is everybody else?" she inquired.

"Si," Aldo and I confirmed at the same time. She picked the bell up, ringing it lightly three times. It caught the attention of a young woman who slowly made her way to us.

"Hello my name is Guadalupe, how can I help you?" she asked in a bored voice, eyes never leaving the notepad clutched in her hands.

"Me gustaría Guatita, por favor." Valeria volunteered first, and then added to us in a lower voice, "I'm not in the mood for anything too spicy." Guatita was indeed the least spicy thing on the menu, the main part of the meal cow's stomach, with potatoes covered with a light peanut sauce.

"I will have the same as her," Hector suddenly spoke up. The waitress copied it down with the same flat expression, but Valeria turned slightly to Hector, glaring at him even more severely than before.

I knew then that Valeria was completely aware of Hector's adoration for her, and she hated it. I could feel for Hector though, I had once been in his position. He loved a girl that was married; I had loved a girl that might as well have been married.

Aldo ordered, and it was my turn, but just then, I heard some muffled voices and my whole body turned towards them. Everything grew silent and I focused naturally on the curtain, which was pushed open to reveal the most beautiful girl I had ever laid my eyes on.

She was tall, her willowy legs walking gracefully across the room. She was tanned, her whole body a magnificent brown. She loped to her table, and the whole way I could not take my eyes off of her. She took her seat, which faced me and suddenly looked up… everything shifted. Her hazel-green eyes pierced through mine, reaching into my very soul and grasping my heart. It was like my body now gravitated around her, she was my anything and everything.

A bright glow seemed to radiate from her body, lighting my whole world and this dark restaurant. I loved every part of her already, from her beautiful eyes, to her face, heart-shaped. Her forehead was wide and smooth, perfectly even skin sloping down to make her small chin, the skin also perfect.

Her lips were wide as well as big, forming a perfect O as she made eye contact with me, her eyes widening until they reflected her surroundings in them.

Curly, wild hair sprang from her head; dark twirls framing her amazing face and accenting every one of her features to make her look exotic, very Ecuadorian. My breath seemed to be stuck in my throat; I was unable to even spare a glance from her exquisite beauty though, quite suddenly, she was blockaded from my view. Glancing up, I saw a tall, muscled man, almost as tall as me, silently giving me a death glare. He was wearing plain black, his eyes dark coal black like his clothes.

I glared back just as strongly… I wanted to see her. I needed to… not being able to know she was alright, that she was safe, made my chest tight, my body burned with unexpected anger. It was like… I would lose all and every reason to live without her… I'd imprinted.

As soon as I grasped that the marvelous creature I had been staring at was in fact my imprint, the only thought I had was of bolting. I couldn't even think of how many times it had happened when a wolf first imprinted…

But a poke in my side made me turn to Hector, who had an utterly confused expression on his face. "What was that all about?" he asked carefully. He looked at me strangely, as if I was unfamiliar to him.

"What was what about?" I asked casually, dismissively even. I figured my best shot at convincing my friends the incident had been in there heads was pretending like nothing happened.

A shiver ran up my spine as I thought that, even pretending that it never happened had me all but convulsing. She was perfect, and I wanted and needed to see her again… My body begged me to turn around and make sure she was alright, but with difficulty I restrained myself.

Another poke brought me back to the people at my table's attention, who were all looking at me with raised eyebrows. All of them were looking at me expectantly, and I realized that they'd probably been talking to me.

"Um, I'm sorry. I just… lost it for a moment. Could you excuse me for a second?" I mumbled, dazed as ever.

Valeria narrowed her eyes at me every so slightly, shaking her hair from behind her head before speaking, "What shall we tell the waitress? We've already had to order for you." I could tell by the perfect diction of her words that she was suspicious, her eyes following my every twitch.

"I don't know… Just save it for me or something. I need to go." I hated to be rude to them after all they'd done for me, but all the instincts in me were screaming at me to turn around, to gaze once again into her spectacular green eyes.

"Fine. We will, but if you could offer an explanation by the time you arrive at your apartment, that would be fantastic," she said in a clipped tone before Hector could speak. Aldo turned red slightly before glancing at Valeria.

"What she means, is that she thinks it's strange of you to walk out on the dinner that was supposed to be spent getting to know her." Aldo said smoothly, resting his arm around her shoulders. I didn't hear anything after that though.

All of my concentration was spent making out the clear breathing of her, the girl I'd imprinted on. I wanted to listen to her sweet voice as well, but the woman who I assumed was her mother was speaking to her, not letting her get a word in.

"Well, goodbye then," I heard Hector speak this time, again raising his eyebrows at me. Both Aldo and he looked at me as if they didn't know me. Waving as enthusiastically as I could, I smiled before rushing out of the room. I pushed past blanket after blanket before finally breaking free, the darkening sky casting shadows across the street.

My heart was thumping wildly as I paced in front of the restaurant a few times, trying to catch my breath. For once, I had no idea what to do. My mind was jumbled, confused as hell. All the sentences forming in my head broke off, reattaching themselves to other started thoughts. I took a few startled breaths before collapsing back onto the wall.

A few people around me gave me scared looks, as though they thought I was psychotic… I guess I couldn't blame them. A muscled guy like me, struggling to breathe and pacing crazily, not the best way to mask what'd just happen.

I closed my eyes, but instantly her image glowed in front of me, like a movie was playing out on the inside of my eyelids. I opened them with a snap, running a hand through my messy hair. I hardly ever lost my calm, the only other time I can remember is when I phased, though that wasn't entirely my fault.

I recounted what happened again and again, and it was about the third time that I really remembered what was probably a key part of it; the guy. The big, ugly, hairy. guy that had blocked her from my view. A slice of anger ran through my veins as a thought crossed my mind; what if he was… with her? But that was absurd, she was young and beautiful, and he was well into his forties and disgusting. Maybe he was her father? He had looked so menacing though. Why would he gather such hatred towards me, for just gazing at her?

I had the most severe yearning to know her, to get to know every fact about her so I could also memorize those things and pull them out whenever necessary. I knew without a doubt that I could memorize every part of her, from her favorite color to her IQ if I could find a way to procure such information.

With confidence, I straightened myself and stepped into the shadows, disappearing around the corner of the building. I slid through the narrow alleyway, coming to the back. I scanned the wall before pulling open a door. Luckily, it was unlocked and I stepped inside smoothly, firmly shutting it behind me.

I found myself facing another doorway, and listening closely, I could hear the footsteps of people passing by every few seconds. I thought that possibly it was the entryway to the kitchen. I waited for a pause in the rhythm before slipping into the room.

Immediately, I slithered out, using as much stealth I could, and into the dining area. I ducked below a waiting cart upon hearing my friend's voices, but chose to ignore those, instead choosing to focus on someone else…

I could make out her laughter right away, soft and light, like a feather floating to the ground, it made my heart soar and a wave of peace engulfed me.

I stood slowly, moving to a separate room, which was unoccupied, set aside for some gathering or party later on. Pressing my ear against the wall, I wanted to hear her best I could; I intently listened to her conversation.

"Yes, of course. I will," she said, answering something her mother had said.

"Good. Remember, you are not to leave the house without-"

"Without a guard, I know mama," she said, a note of exasperation stringing her words.

"Do not disrespect me, encanto," she warned.

"Sorry, mama." There was a pause in conversation, and then her mother laughed.

"Maribel, remember you have English and Latin studies with Ms. Rose tomorrow," her mother said, but already I was lost… _Maribel_. That was her name. It exploded on my tongue as I said it, the taste glorious, just as she was.

"Mama, why must I start English now, of all times? I have not learned a word of it before in my life." She sighed heavily.

"Well, encanto, are you finished?" Maribel's mother asked her in her snarky, pristine voice- so much in contrast to Maribel's loose, soothing voice. I could tell from her tone that Maribel question learning English again; ever.

"Yes, mama. It was delicious," she spoke carefully, as though her sentences were printed out in front of her. Like a script.

"Good, then. One of you can wait for the waiter and pay for us, right?" she sounded almost uncertain now, addressing someone I must not have noticed, or possibly… that man.

"Of course ma'am. We can escort you to the limo now, if you wish." I heard a seedy voice reply.

"Thank you." I heard chairs being pushed, feet crossing the room. I waited a few moments, already itching to see her again more than I'd previously been.

Finally, I felt that it would be okay to emerge, and slid into the room, crossing quickly to the black curtains. I spared a small glance at Aldo's table, and noticed with relief that no one had noticed me.

Pushing open the main door, I noticed it was even darker than before, perfect for lurking in the shadows. I scanned the small parking lot, immediately making out her petite figure as it crossed the lot. Her steps were quick, hurried. And soon I noticed the four large men surrounding her and her mother, the ones I'm sure anyone who had not just imprinted would have seen first.

I remembered from their earlier conversation that she did indeed have guards, but wondered why. I watched as they climbed into the limo I'd seen earlier, and it made perfect sense now, that that had been when I'd started feeling that strange feeling in me, when I was going to imprint.

The word yet again clouded my mind, making me slightly dizzy as I saw them start the car. The realization that I was lucky enough to get Maribel, wonderful in every way, as my imprint thrilled me. I had suspected it would come one day, since there were so far only four wolves in history to not imprint.

I tuned in to their conversation, expecting to hear discussion between Maribel and her mother, but it was oddly silent.

Instead, I focused on the guard's conversation. "Should we drive around for a half hour?" one grunted to another, backing out of the lot.

"Sure, I think someone might be tailing us…" I paused, confused, "don't want one of these ladies to be found, or the house. Boss'll kill us, especially if one of _them_ gets killed."


	3. I Was Awestruck, She Was Trapped

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does. **

**And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.**

**I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!**

**This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five. Also, the story takes place in Ecuador, therefor the characters are all speaking Spanish.**

**Thanks so much for all the reviews, honeys! Hopefully y'all will take the time to review!**

* * *

Chapter Three - I Was Awestruck, She Was Trapped

* * *

My vision blurred as his words filtered through my ears, and I realized it was because I was shaking so hard that my body jerked wildly. As soon as I realized I might phase, I tried to calm down, thinking of Maribel's soft laughter to soothe me. When I calmed down enough so that only my hands remained shaking, I replayed that man's words in my head over and over again, almost not wanting to believe them.

My heart thumped at a startling beat in my chest, in full panic mode, a sick feeling settled slowly into my stomach. I knew that I was following them, but who else could want to? Who would want to… to harm her, to _kill_ her?

The burning rage in my chest was still firmly in tact as I stealthily kept after the limo. I slipped behind and into the cracks of buildings, being ever so careful to not be seen.

I wasn't used to this sneaking around, or the feeling of prominent dread. The need for her to be safe and in my arms was all-consuming, the strongest emotion I'd ever felt.

I followed silently as they drove aimlessly around, all the while Maribel and her mother staying silent in the back of the car. It was almost an hour past ten before they finally turned onto a dirt road, which made a sharp turn to the right. I almost lost my footing, but quickly jumped into the ditch on the side of the road, still following the car as it decreased its speed.

And then I saw it. It was a wall, a large wall, with a metal gate in the center, a couple of guards pushed the gate open as the limo approached. Almost as quickly, they slammed it shut, a deadbolt sliding into place.

It was shocking and looked out of place, I hadn't seen a gate that large, or a wall that intruding. It screamed at me to back off… My hairs bristled on my back as I scanned the front of it several times. I didn't see an entry beside the gate, and knew that I would be able to climb up it. I could leap over it, well, possibly. That may attract more attention than necessary.

I needed to find a place that wasn't watched, and had an opening. I stood hidden in the shadow of the ditch for a moment before falling to my knees. What the hell had I gotten myself into? Who _was_ Maribel? Why do she and her family have to be protected so thoroughly? Peering through the gate, I could see more of the large men milling around, watching the area cynically.

Questions circled my mind as I tore my shirt off, slipping out of my shorts. I tied both of the items to my ankle in a quick practiced movement. Whoever she was, I had to see her.

Phasing came quick and painless as fur sprouted from my body, and I fell onto fours large paws. Shaking myself out, I dug my claws into the ground, taking a deep breath.

That was one more thing I loved about Quito. Since I phased in Europe, I was apart of Jake's pack. But of course, I was well away from Europe now, so the pack mind was blank. I was left alone with _my_ thoughts only, and it was so peaceful. I thanked the lord that I didn't have to put up with the headache of having five or six other wolves in my head as I would have to if I still lived in La Push.

I crept up farther towards the gate, scanning the wall for any cracks or crevices, something that could help me to get in. I needed to see her again, even if I had to peer in through her window like a stalker. Though, I'm sure all other imprinted wolves would agree; stalking wasn't stalking if she was your imprint. I continued to scan the wall; I needed to find a way to get in still, and I was coming up short.

I finally concluded that I wasn't going to find a way in through the front, and started circling the perimeter of the wall before finding a tree close enough that I could jump from the branches and into the lot. It had deep roots twisting into the ground, and lots of branches intertwining together and making it hard to see through to the top. _Perfect_, I thought.

Hooking my claws into the bark, I climbed the tree almost like a cat. Stalking through the branches, I leapt down the last couple of feet, landing squarely on the ground.

Standing here, I could get a clear view of the house. It was pretty far away, but luckily I was able to see it very clearly. I was on the east side of the house, and the wall there was as smooth and flat as the wall on all other sides had been.

There was an almost eeriness about it, all the windows had curtains pulled tightly over them and darkness lurked all around it as if no one lived there and I'm sure most would have preferred to stay away from it.

Squinting, I could make several forms around the house, walking by occasionally. There was a large porch wrapping around the house, and who I assumed were gaurds strode around it menacingly.

It was as if they were patrolling the area, and I knew that that was probably the case… Again, the prospect of what I had got myself into entered my mind, and I shook my head. It didn't matter. It wouldn't have mattered if she were a fish; I had to be meet her, talk to her.

With confidence, I flew through the night, landing silently towards the house. A man's head snapped up, straining to see me in the darkness surrounding us. I slipped further into the shadows, hiding beneath the brush.

Slowly, I started to crawl in the direction of the house, following the rope that seemed to be attached to my heart, pulling me. I could sense her presence now, though it was hundreds of feet away still. Her heartbeat called to me as I drifted through the plants still crouching.

Finally, I came as close as I knew I was going to get. And stared at a wide window, two floors up, I knew she was behind it. Like all the other windows, black curtains were pulled tightly over it. With a sigh, I glanced around. I needed to find a way to get up there.

But there was a huge problem with that, the men strolling around every few minutes. I needed a way to get past them. I had no idea how; they hardly let ten seconds pass without someone else coming out to scan the area, like vultures.

Getting frustrated, I retreated further into the shadows, hoping to get a better view. Still, I saw no hole in their system, no break. I growled angrily.

"Look, we lost em' so it don't matter anyway!" a gruff voice rose a few levels, and my eyebrows crinkled, inquisitive for more.

"Shut it! How in the hell do you know for sure if you lost them? You know, if Mr. Castillo was here, who knows what he'd do to ya, to all of ya!" another voice hissed lividly. There was a lapse in the conversation before the same man spoke up.

"Just watch closely, have the guys walking around the porch every few minutes. I don't wanna take any chances. Do any of ya want to piss him off by leading someone here?" his voice turning intimidating as his threat became more prominent.

"Fine," the other spat. I heard his heavy footsteps as he stalked out of the room, then the slam of thick door.

And in the next couple of seconds, everything clicked. Why Maribel and her family were so protective, the constant stream of men surrounding the house, making sure nobody in the family was following… Her father or I'm assuming it was her father, was referred to as 'Boss' by every one of the guards. He was in the mafia.

I could tell by the richly decorated exterior of the house that he was a rich man. And that was most probably because he was involved in some kind of seedy business. And if someone followed anyone to the house, and knew where there exact location was… my heart sunk. Could that mean people were out to get my Maribel and her family?

My brain exploded, already set upon helping her escape all the danger. My heart was pounding erratically as I laid down, my eyes still intent on the window I knew she was behind. Rage burned deep inside me. How could anybody let Maribel stay in this place? Suffering, trapped! I needed to… to do something! Get her out of here. I had to escape with her, as far as possible from here.

Every instinct in me was kicking in, screaming at me to just jump through the window and hold her and run away. But the logical side of me reasoned that that wasn't the best idea. For all I knew, they could have guns, though I wasn't sure of the exact effect they would have on werewolves, I knew it would most definitely slow me down.

And suddenly, the curtain was pulled slightly aside, and she gazed out of it, and I looked into her eyes, and saw such… longing, in them. It was heartbreaking, and my breath caught in my throat as I watched her tilt her head to the side, sighing softly.

And then, she tugged the curtain back, and retreated from the window. It happened so quickly, I wasn't even sure she'd been there at all. Not a moment later, I heard the sound of a case being unlocked, and then, the music of a violin played, and I was amazed.

The melody floating from her was incredible… it lured me a half step closer to her, my ears perked. As the song drifted to a close, I heard her putting the instrument back, and a minute after, her lights shut off.

I was astounded by her already.

I had to protect her as well as possible, I knew that. I would come up with a plan, I had to. As the night wore on, my eyes never strayed from that window. Her soft breathing was assuring me in ways that nothing else had ever done. With each beat of her heart, mine beat as well. I tried my hardest to tune out all other signs, choosing to focus on her tonight, this very first night.

Finally, when my eyes were sagging and my body was limp against the ground, I turned a bit to find a soft sun rising. Which meant light, which meant it would be all that much harder to leave. I could be spotted better in the day.

With a deep breath, I stood, knowing I would have to leave. I tried to assure myself that soon, I would be back with her, coming as soon as it got even the slightest bit dark.

Though I wasn't incredibly keen on being a wolf, I still enjoyed some the perks, such as running, and climbing. It was exhilarating and gave me the most amazing adrenaline rush. I stealthy made my way towards the wall carefully looked around. I wanted to double check and make sure no one was on this side. With relief, I confirmed to myself that there wasn't, and started to jog along the ditch that had led me here, following the path. I had committed it to my memory, knowing that I would need it for later. I had an unfortunate feeling that Maribel and her mother didn't get out often.

My body was wary with exhaustion as I phased back a couple of blocks from my apartment. As I unlocked my door, walking through the house, I glanced at the clock noting it was about six thirty in the morning. I was supposed to get up in an hour… for classes.

I was exhausted as I trudged to my bed finally, collapsing onto it, my muscles relaxed, all but melting into the mattress. My brain was chaotic, its state of disarray making me feel much more worn out than ever before.

Groaning, I rubbed my face with my hand. I still had to think of some solution to talking and meeting Maribel. She was so tiny, and when I'd seen her peeking her out the window, her heart-shaped face so hopeful and sad, it made my heart ache even more than before.

My mind scrambled to pick out the pattern of the guards, and finally I found it. It seemed that about four seconds after one guard turned the corner; another guard appeared around the opposite one. seemed like the men guarding her house were all focused on what was to be done, always on time, almost scared of what would be done if they messed up. And I suppose, since my conclusion was that Maribel's father was in the mafia, you couldn't blame them. But, was it always like that in broad daylight? Were they always so alert and searching for even a small disturbance? The thought stuck in my head immediately, and I swallowed. I could follow and stake out today, after a bit of refreshment, couldn't I?

I thought of my small classrooms, the professors standing in the front with a serious expression. I attended a very well-bred school; they wouldn't take any funny business, was it really worth it? And then, I thought of Maribel again, and I pictured her peeking out of the window, almost sneakily. I could still see her heartbreaking eyes staring out with such an immense yearning. Instinctively, organically even I could feel that the yearning was for escape. She was more important than any class or college, and I had to find a way to get her out of here as fast as possible.

I determined I would get some rest, followed by a quick breakfast, and then head out. I would have to find some way to get over the wall surrounding her house, and then try to see what was happening throughout her day.

Rolling over on my mattress now, I fiddled with my clock before setting it for a couple hours, deciding that I would attempt to rest for only a few hours. It was difficult to picture the notion of myself actually sleeping; my body was already begging me to return to her but rolling back again, I closed my eyes, and welcomed sleep.

**~*~*~**

The shrill ring of my alarm woke me four hours later. I stayed where I was for a few moments, trying to soak in the sunlight that was streaming through my bedroom window. Taking a deep breath, I sat up, running a hand through my wild hair.

I was still tired, but it was already almost eleven, who knew what could have happened between when I'd left and now? I shivered to think about it.

I stood, stretching my arms and legs before getting some clean clothes on, though I didn't bother showering I had no time for it. I headed out the door to find Hector sitting at our kitchen nook, silently reading the paper with a cup of coffee in his hands. Hector was a deep sleeper, always sleeping until ten or ten thirty. He glanced up at me as I walked in, and frowned.

"Holy, Freddie. When did you get in last night? I didn't hear you at all." He asked a slip of suspicion crawling into his voice. Though I did go to parties and stay out late and all, I was never past Hector, who seemed to outdo me in that area, as I did him in the academic area.

"Uh… not sure." I said, not elucidating further. I hoped he would stop asking about it, leaving it at that, but Hector was a persistent man, and I knew he would want his answers.

"Well, what were you doing?" He pressed on, like I'd concluded.

"You know, just walking around, exploring the area. I missed the city. You should know that Hector." I said carefully, getting myself a mug of coffee. I took a drink, hoping it'd wake me up a bit more. He didn't look satisfied with my answer, and by the way his eyes swept me over even more skeptically, I knew that he would ask more about it later.

"Well, I suppose. But you realize that Valeria was upset when you left…" he frowned, his forehead creasing as he stared at me. "She takes offense easily."

"Well, then, I'll apologize to her. But there was just something more… important, I had to attend to." I said easily. "Anyway, I have something I want to advise you on." He looked at me flatly for a moment before taking a drink of his coffee.

"And what exactly, is that?" he asked in a bored voice. I sighed, trying to stop myself from shaking my head.

"Think about Valeria, Hector. And then think of Aldo." I said quietly, looking at him intently. His face was screwed, an angry line forming his mouth.

"I do, Freddie. Every day." He placed his cup in the sink, before walking to his room. I just watched him, assessing the way his eyes turned from frustrated to angry. His body stance was hunched showing his palpable aggravation with Valeria and the situation.

Shaking my head, I set my mug in the sink. I didn't have time for this; I had to go find Maribel. "I have to go, Hector. I'll be back later in the afternoon." I had already decided he would really know something was up if I skipped coming home all together. I would need more sleep by then, anyway.

I heard a grunt of a response and suppressed a sigh, heading towards the door.

The street was bright with the mid-morning of a new day. I always loved coming out here at this time, or earlier, and seeing everyone running around, others calmly admiring the scenery.

Everybody had an air about them, like they had a new beginning, a new day. It hardly mattered what happened before this; it was what would occur later they had to prepare for.

My eyes followed a man as he weaved in and out of a door, laying out fruits and vegetables. His brow was creased, his eyes so focused on getting it done. And as I set off, I had no doubt I had that same expression crossing my face, because something did indeed, need to be done.

I walked to the street that led to her, being cautious to not be noticed too much. I still didn't want them to get suspicious. A small chill went up my spine as I thought of Maribel having to even be in the same room with them, every day, all day.

When I got close enough I slipped into the bushes before taking my clothes off, phasing quickly, flying through the dead leaves and decaying branches, my focus set on getting to her.

I hoped with a lot of longing I'd hear her play the violin again, it was beautiful. I remembered that lifting of my spirit and the way my heart seemed to thump a thousand leaps out of my chest. My breath caught just thinking about it, and I closed my eyes a little, imagining being right there next to her as she played, resting a hand on her shoulder as I admired her performance. I slowed as I approached the gate.

It reminded me unpleasantly of the Berlin Wall. I could get in and out, because I was on the outside. And if I hadn't had to come back to get Maribel, I could choose to stay out here forever. But the people inside such as my sweet Maribel and her mother could occasionally go out, since they were important enough, but had to return, always.

I jogged slowly to the tree that I'd climbed before, and did the same thing. Once I latched myself onto the branch, I took a good look at the house, and was shocked. Unlike last night, windows were open, and you could see people running around inside, like something important was happening.

My eyes then traveled to Maribel's window, which was wide open today, and my heart jumped as I saw her sitting on her bed. Her feet were perched on her headboard, head resting on a pillow with her eyes closed.

I heard her sigh before she sat up, stretching, and traveling to her bureau, studying herself in the mirror. She ran her hands through her hair, and then let out another sigh. I looked at her steadily, trying to find why she was so nervous. I could tell she was by the way she constantly fluttered around her room, cleaning up things that were perfect to begin with.

She was in the middle of remaking her bed again, which I found very endearing, her face so concentrated and anxious, when there were three polite knocks on her door. She turned, smoothing out her skirt, before calling for the person to come in. It was her mom, who clearly looked disappointed.

"Encanto, I need to speak with you." There was a pause as Maribel sat on her bed quickly, folding her hands over her lap with a frown.

"Mama, please don't tell me father has been delayed?" she said, her voice low. Maribel's eyes never strayed from her mother's as she sighed, looking at Maribel regretfully.

"Encanto, I _am_ sorry. He was caught up in some… issues. He wants you to understand, and hopes that you'll look forward for when he does come back." She said all too quickly.

"Of course I will, mother." She said, but I could detect a restrained bit of bitterness that almost crept into her voice. I could see her mom stiffen slightly, and then relax with a praising smile.

"Good girl… Now, practice your piano a bit. I would love to hear a piece later this evening." She said, her eyes, sweeping over her daughter, almost yelled I'm sorry.

"I would love to." Maribel said evenly, standing respectfully. After her mother left, though, she sat on her bed once again, closing her eyes. She pursed her lips as a single tear escaped her eye. It broke my heart into pieces.

Remorse and anger filled me that her father couldn't get home, to make her happy. I didn't care whatever the hell he was doing wherever he was. Why couldn't he see how hard Maribel is taking all this? Even in that small conversation with her mother, it was as if all her words were practiced, normal, so as not to alert someone that her family wasn't like any other.

But then, as if she knew I was watching she sprung up, wiping off her face. She disappeared into what I assumed was her closet, and reappeared a second later. She had a shoebox in her arms, and placing it gently on the bed, she took off the cover. Inside were pictures and she removed one of an older man, hair grayed and a gentle smile on his face, I could barely make it out through in the distance.

She once again pressed her lips together, tilting her head to the side. Squinting, I could make out he was holding a small bundle in his arms, and as I focused more intently, I saw it was a baby, so small and bright pink.

Maribel didn't say or do anything as she stared at the picture, her face the same expression the entire time. After a few moments, her face gathered itself again, and she placed the picture of what I guessed to be her father back in the box, placing the cover delicately back on. "Why, Papa? Why do you do this to me? Why, god, can't I escape?" Her eyes blinked rapidly as she stood, loping to the closet gracefully.

As her words rung through my head, my heart thumped crazily. A new need ran through me, like something was pulling and begging me to fulfill her plea, to get her out of this practiced, almost robotic life.

I could see as she made her way out of the closet, traveling to her piano in the corner. She started to play expertly, her hands flying elegantly across the keys. Her face had a genuine smile on it now, a spark of enjoyment lighting her face. I couldn't help but beam at her joy.

I loved that she took such joy out of playing the piano, the way her hair softly sprung as she moved her shoulders, as she twisted her torso back and forth. Maribel's arms reached across the whole piano, craning her arms even when she could reach it perfectly. As she played, my mind drifted off, and I thought of her wish to go away. Despite the fact that she was tall, she was still petite, like someone had shrunk her features, but made her legs long. Of course, her beautiful hair added an inch.

But, she was delicate. I could tell that she was intelligent, incredibly so, but that didn't mean she couldn't be hurt. I needed and wanted with all my heart to get her away from anything that would hurt her, and as the song she was playing drifted to an end, I vowed that I would get her away from the danger she was born into. I had to.


	4. She Was Shocked, I Was Frozen

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does. **

**And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.**

**I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!**

**This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five. Also, this part of the story takes place in Ecuador, therefor the characters are all speaking Spanish.**

**Hopefully all of ya will think I did a good job! Also, thanks for the reviews! It's great to see what everyone thinks! **

* * *

Chapter Four - She Was Shocked, I Was Frozen

* * *

After leaving that second day, I fell into a routine. It was exhausting me, because I had very few hours of sleep, but for her, I would do anything.

Usually I ran around the gate in front of her house a few times around nine, just to assure myself she was fine. I would then go home, sleep for a few hours, and return to the tree looking into her window, which I had quickly proclaimed mine. I would usually see her being taught one of her lessons, or reading. She played her violin and piano frequently, and I loved when she did. The way her eyes lit up… it filled me with such joy. I had perceived straight away that she was very smart.

She was gifted in most subjects, a highly skilled reader and had an eagerness to learn more. I liked that we had something in common… The only thing she struggled with was English, though she worked hard to understand as much as possible.

At midnight or so, I would run home, sleep for a few more hours, and then get up at five to work at Aldo and Hector's restaurant. My friends had become increasingly worried about me, though I could usually come up with a plausible enough excuse to avoid their frequent questions.

Letters from my university had come, probably concerning my extended absence, but I ignored them, instead deciding to not delve into something I knew would only upset me. I had yet to come up with a plan to get Maribel out of the hell hole, but I was working on it.

I had started to calculate the movements and stations of each guard, listening to who was where and if they were intent and focused, or distracted and lazy. I was also starting to become aware of the days that Maribel's father was away, everybody was all the more nervous and tense.

He'd be there one day, and then the morning, they'd wake and he'd unexpectedly be gone. I sometimes saw him leave in the dead of night. After my first week there, it was the third time. I had actually considered jumping down and chasing him back into the house, just so he wouldn't go and disappoint Maribel, but that was only given a second of thought. The most terrible idea I'd ever thought of, probably.

It was about two weeks after first imprinting that I realized that I was in almost total seclusion. I avoided my friends as much as possible, wanting to dodge their curiosity, and hadn't talked to any of my family since leaving Europe. I hadn't spoken to my family everyday or anything before, but I'd called once or twice a week. My parents were always thrilled whenever I told them about my life in Quito, happy I'd gotten the life I always wanted, and they probably were starting to worry.

I knew I needed to call them soon, but I also knew I would mention Maribel. That was another thing… I found myself almost mentioning her to anybody I'd talk to, not even on purpose, another reason to avoid Hector and Aldo. My stomach flipped uneasily just thinking about having them find out, but considering she's supposedly my soul mate, they had to find out sometime. Still, as I ran home that night, I tried to go slow as possible. It was one as I walked through the door quietly, and seven in Italy. I knew that both of my parents would be up by then, but I still dawdled as I changed my clothes, nervous.

I wasn't one to care much what other's thought of my actions, but my parents were a different story. Finally, I picked up my phone, dialing my mother's number quickly.

"Hello?" I heard her voice and immediately felt the warmth that my mom naturally spread to all she spoke with.

"Hi, mom." I said casually. I could hear her intake of breath and imagined a smile stretching across her face. I knew she hated not being able to see us so much, even though she loved having alone time with my father, she had wanted children for so long and we grew up way too fast.

"Bebe, ju haven't called in so long! How is everything going?" she trilled, and I could hear the sound of a book being put down in the back round.

"Uh, everything's going alright." I said with a slight pause.

"Wonderful! Are your studies coming along fine?" This question silenced me, and I knew she would know something was wrong. I usually trailed on and on about my classes any other time she would ask this. "Fredrico, are you sure everything is going without difficulty?" She was confused now, I could tell, and I took this as my shot to go ahead and tell her.

"Mom… everything is fantastic. In fact, great. I imprinted." Saying those words, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I breathed a slight sigh of relief as my mother gasped in shock. I could hear the muffled voice of my father beside her, but she obviously ignored him as she continued to speak.

"Oh, my! When did this happen? Is she nice? Is she… young?" I knew from her last question my mother was asking if she was a toddler or child. She wasn't… but, as I thought of it, I didn't think of her in a romantic way at all, there was simply a magical bond between us.

"It happened about two weeks ago, she's the absolute most amazing woman on this earth…she's about fifteen, fourteen at the youngest." I answered. My mom was silent on the other end of the line, and concentrating, I could tell that she was probably filling my father in on this information.

"Freddie, this is wonderful! Have you met her yet? And what is this girl's name?" My mom came back on, her tone loving and excited. I smiled a bit, staring into the darkness.

"Her name is _Maribel_." Just saying her beautiful name sent shivers down my spine. When I got in bed each night, sometimes I'd just lay awake and say her name again and again, imagining the way her eyes sometimes lit up, a small smile breaking across her lips.

"But unfortunately, no, I haven't met her yet. I've been working on that." I decided to leave out the part where I was going to sneak her into America once she knew me well enough.

"Oh Bebe, I'll know you'll find a way to meet her and fall in love!" Mom laughed; a tinkling sound that made me smile a little.

"Well, hopefully she'll love me… but I don't want to pressure her into actually falling _in_ love with me." Truthfully, the very idea made my head spin. Being _in_ love with her, I mean… she was so young and innocent.

"Of course not, you guys are always so protective." She sighed a little. I only rolled my eyes as I sunk into my bed, stifling a yawn. "Oh goodness, Freddie… I forgot! It must be one o'clock there! Ju have to be tired." I could hear her maternal side starting to gear up.

"Yes, I suppose I am," I said slowly.

"Ju get some more rest, and call us in a couple days to give us an update on how things are going, okay?" she said soothingly.

"Of course I will. I'll talk to you later," I paused, noticing she was about to hang up, and then remembered something, "Wait, mom, it would be great if you and dad didn't mention this to the Cullen's or any of the pack. I don't know if I want anybody else to know quite yet." I said quickly.

"Of course, I completely understand. Bye, Freddie." I hung the phone up, rubbing my forehead lightly. I knew that they'd keep their promise, but people knowing about Maribel was still stressful to me. I didn't want some big thing made out of this when I hadn't even spoken to her yet.

In fact, it was a bit humiliating and depressing that I _hadn't_. The frustrating thing was, she didn't leave the property! She often took walks and drank in the sun on her little balcony, but otherwise didn't go outside. It was like she was a prisoner in her own home. She also had permanent body guards by her side twenty-four/seven, which didn't help. The only chance I had was at night, and that was only on days her father wasn't home.

Sighing, I sat up, knowing now that I had this on my mind, I wouldn't be able to shrug it off and get to sleep. Closing my eyes, I knew that I needed to come up with a plan and soon. I was getting more nervous and paranoid by the second.

I paced to the kitchen, starting to get a cup of coffee. The stuff didn't affect me how it did some other people, but it helped a little.

"What're you doing up?" Hector's voice, surprised and tense, sounded behind me, and I turned, surprised as well.

"Oh… Uh, couldn't sleep." I said slowly. I could hear a heartbeat behind him hammering nervously. He looked suspicious, since he knew I slept like a rock. The only thing that could wake me was the annoying shrill of an alarm clock.

"Okay… well, do you want to check and make sure your clock is set right?" He said after a moment, looking quite on edge. I raised an eyebrow at him. He was sweating, his fingers moving awkwardly against the others.

I sniffed the air discretely, and was shocked to smell the scent of Valeria. I couldn't believe myself for a second, and smelt it again, only to confirm my original assumption. A flushed anger filled me for a moment, furious that Hector could betray Aldo like that… I could smell the sex fresh on them both.

I took a deep breath, calming myself immediately. I looked him in the eye, nodding slowly. "Okay, Hector. Okay." I went to my room slowly, and as I stepped into the doorway, turned back.

I knew that if I meddled too much into the situation, it could make things worse. It was Hector and Valeria's decision, and I hoped they would realize their mistake. If not, than I knew their decision would come back to haunt them… But Hector was a friend, so I knew I should give him some advice.

"Hector, I want you to think about something… Think about losing Aldo, and him hating you. Think about consequences to bad decisions." I told him. His head was hung as I spoke, and he slowly looked up after I finished speaking.

"Okay, Freddie. Okay." He whispered, copying the phrase I'd used. Suppressing a sigh, I turned around, pretending to follow his odd and random request.

Shutting my door, I could hear the quiet footsteps of Valeria; "I'll come tomorrow, same time?" she spoke raptly and guiltily, but also… excitedly.

"Of course, beautiful; I can't wait." Hector whispered.

After she'd left and Hector had paced back to his room, I exited mine. I was quite angry with the both of them, and needed to calm myself. I also needed to think of a way to help Hector with getting over her and letting Aldo's marriage be, without being too imposing.

The streets were sullen and silent as I strut across them, almost running. I needed to exert some of my… energy, if you could call it that, and running might be the best way. I didn't even think of where to go, I just ran, and somehow my feet guided me in the right place, down the dirt that took a sharp right, right to the ditch. I ran along side it, until finding my tree.

I looked at it for a second before steadily climbing it, tying my clothes to my ankle before phasing. I gazed at her closed window, begging her to open it and peek out… The need was strong, and I hadn't seen her up close in so long…

And that driving, that pounding and begging was what made me leap out of the tree to the ground, into the brush. I paused for a few moments, knowing that a guard would be circling in a mere second, and like clockwork he was there.

As soon as he rounded the corner, I counted down the seconds, knowing I had only four or five, and sprinted with all the energy in me to the bush under the porch on their house. My breath was caught as I tumbled into it, not even a millisecond later hearing the sound of feet stomping across the deck.

I knew I wouldn't be able to do this as a wolf, so I phased back, feeling foolish at phasing at all. It was clear as I gazed up, I might not be able to do it as a person either.

I narrowed my ears in concentration, counting the pace of the man who would turn the corner next's walk, and bolted upwards, launching onto the railing.

I almost fell, but thanks to my incredible balance, latched on and stuck. My hands felt for the next window, and I hooked my fingers over the side, pulling myself up. I was in a fetal position in mid-air, something that proved itself to be quite difficult.

In a quick movement, I put my feet on the window sill, thanking god that the window was closed, and shot my hands up, catching the top of the window. I repeated that once more, but I was all the more quiet and careful, for, it was my Maribel's balcony. I looked around, wondering what the hell I'd do now that I was up here, getting dressed was priority one.

Shrugging, I tried the latch, and was surprised and also confused as to why it swung open. Though, once I thought about it, no normal being would have been able to climb up as I had.

I climbed into Maribel's room carefully, looking around. I saw the piano in the corner, her large canopy bed, and her bureau against the wall, along with some sofas, and a violin case. I softly shut the door behind me, and stepped a bit closer to her bed, where I could see her sleeping peacefully.

Her face was angelic, her curls sprayed around her face wildly. She whimpered in her sleep, and my hand automatically shot out to comfort her, but I pulled it back at the last second, afraid I'd wake her.

"Umm… no!" she moaned quietly, shifting her position. I crouched beside her, leaning my elbow against her bedside table, which was crowded with nail polish bottles of all colors. "Beautiful…" I murmured, examining her.

It was the first time I'd ever seen her up close, and I was taken away… Her eyes, even closed, were mesmerizing. Her eyelashes were fluttered around them, the eyelids squeezed lightly, as her whole demeanor was… light.

Her small mouth was in a peaceful line, not angry or strained… just at rest. Her cheeks had a soft blush across them, her gorgeous tan skin slightly pink with color. It made me want to hold her in my arms, stroking her cheek and feeling that wondrous, amazing flush…

"Beautiful," I murmured again, but I realized too late it was a bit louder than before, and her eyes fluttered open.

I was frozen to my spot as she looked at me, for a moment also frozen, and then shock took over her features and she opened her mouth to scream.


	5. A Strange Man, A Legend, and A Wolf

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does. **

**And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.**

**I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!**

**This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five. Also, this part of the story takes place in Ecuador, therefor the characters are all speaking Spanish.**

**This chapter was made extra long, in thanks for all the reviews! Also, does anyone get annoyed by the fact that it is _impossible_ to center anything on here?**

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Chapter Five - A Strange Man, A Legend, and A Wolf

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Maribel POV

The small brush trailed over my fingernail, a light shade of blue coloring it. I focused on each stroke, making sure I didn't get even a speck of the polish on my skin. The pink color I had been wearing before had been wearing away, and blue, being the color of the lovely sky, was something I'd been glancing at for a while now.

I leaned forward, settling my elbows on my bed, splaying my fingers in a ray of sun so they would dry faster. I blew on them happily, the color was gorgeous and I had gotten the layer just right.

And then, like a tree snapping off a branch, quick and sudden, that feeling crept over me yet again. I had been getting the odd sensation someone was watching me for almost two weeks now, but kept quiet about it.

If I had told someone, they would become instantly alert and wary; maybe even make us temporarily move… again. The thought made me wince. I had been all over South America whenever the slightest threat to my life came up, or so I assumed. I never knew any reason to why we would go anywhere; we just did.

I had a feeling it was because my parents were worried about me, that someone would try to take me away.

I wasn't necessarily complaining, mother had told me since I was a small child that the less I knew, the better off I'd end up. My mother was one of the most important people in my life, and I knew she wasn't telling me a lie when she said this.

I usually didn't ask too much, really only when curiosity overwhelmed me. It always made my parents, especially my mother, wince.

I hadn't seen my father in what felt like weeks, though it had been only three days. I knew I was slightly exaggerating, but he was so loaded with work that he had to go away, sometimes on a second notice. I loved him so much, but at times it felt like he was pushing me away, which saddened me because I knew it wasn't his fault.

My mother, the woman who was everything for me, hated that my father had to be away, but understood, most of the reason I didn't say anything about no matter how many tears I shed over the issue.

I didn't know how people could see through her false smile, the tight lipped words, and the tense eyes… but I sure could. She was absolutely miserable when he was away... well, most of time. I only saw that side of her occasionally, because whenever I was around she was smiling and kind and doting. She loved me as much as I adored her.

She really took when I played my music, which was the reason I enjoyed it so greatly. Well, partly. Also because I felt so fearless and free, like the world was full of choices… And it was, just not for me.

This melancholic thought made me frown at myself before standing up, sliding on a pair of flats. The intricate designs on them made me think even more of my mother, how she loved picking out things like this for me.

It was time for breakfast, like it was every day at nine o'clock. A little part of me wished that my dad could be here this morning, but I shoved that thought away, instead smiling when I thought of when he could be there.

My life was a strict schedule. Breakfast was until nine thirty, my classes for the morning would begin five minutes later and run until noon, and then lunch for a half hour, and so on. I wasn't complaining, that was how it had been since I was five… in fact it comforted me that my life was so normal and solid.

Our house was large, and decorated lavishly with carvings in the ceilings and carvings in the paneling. There were several chandeliers in the hallway from my bedroom to the dining hall, and wide open windows let the glorious Ecuadorian sun steam through letting sun glint off the tile floors.

"Mari." Guy greeted me, nodding a little. I could see a grin tugging at his lips and rolled my eyes, moving forward down the hall. I didn't really know if Guy was his real name, but I'd called him that ever since I was born. He was my most frequent and also favorite body guard.

"Maribel, dear!" my mother beamed at me as I entered the dining room, her gray eyes inspecting me proudly. "You look lovely; those shoes are beautiful with that dress." She smiled at me, cocking her head to the side while glowing. She took my hand, giving it a little squeeze.

I looked a lot like my mother, my legs and face almost exactly a copy of her's, excluding my bright green eyes and curly hair, which was all my dad.

"It is a very beautiful day, is it not? Let us go outside for breakfast!" We walked slowly to the patio outside, food being set on the table already.

"Ms. Rose tells me that you are coming along fine in Latin, but are not doing well in English." Mother told me, starting to eat. Her tone wasn't disapproving, but I still felt guilty. I picked at my food, not meeting her eyes.

Ah, English… It will be the death of me, I swear. It makes absolutely no sense; whose idea was it to come up with a language that has two or three sounds for every letter and two meanings for every word?

"I am sorry, I will try harder." I sighed. The sad thing was, I was trying very hard. Studies were my main priority; I was so excited for the day I'd get to explore outside of the confines of my house, though I admit I would probably miss my parents and Ms. Rose.

I had learned so much. I thought I was quite smart, and Ms. Rose had once admitted to me that I was advanced for a girl as young as I.

"Good girl." My mother smiled approvingly, and then straightened her posture, continuing to eat.

We ate in silence for a little bit, enjoying the view of the wildlife and my mother's teeming graden.

After breakfast, I met my tutor in my study, and she started with today's lessons. It was mostly review, and bored me to death. Though I did aspire to be studious, talking about things I already knew about did at times bore me.

Ms. Rose was very encouraging though, and supported me fully. She was almost a second mother to me.

Right around lunch, I got that feeling back yet again… Like someone was watching me. It was strange; a tugging sensation around my navel area, and my stomach twisted in uncomfortable knots.

"Dear, is something wrong?" my mother had asked me four times already, and I'd declined every one of her inquiries as to why I was acting so jittery. It confused me as much as it seemed to confuse her. As I shook my head again, she sighed a little, reaching to brush a strand of hair behind my ears.

"Maribel, if something is bothering you, you know you can tell me?" She whispered in a worried tone, and I immediately felt guilty though it was hardly my fault I felt so odd.

"Yes, of course. But there really is nothing wrong. I promise, Mama," I lied, assuring while patting her hand. She smiled tentatively, but still didn't act as if she believed me. I absentmindedly picked at my food, staring out the window and to the bushes that surrounded our wall.

And like a flash, something, I don't even know what, jumped out of the leaves and up in the air, into a tree. It happened so fast, I wasn't even sure it happened, like a flash of lightning. I blinked, almost falling out of my chair.

Whatever it was had been huge, and very furry, the color of the fur being gray. Oddly enough, I wasn't even that afraid of it. "Maribel, something is wrong! It looks like you're about to faint!" my mother exclaimed even more worriedly, standing up. I shook my head once, trying to clear the scrambling thoughts running around.

"Umm… I am fine," I cleared my throat, shaking my head one more time. "I'm fine." I said again, hinting a smile at her. My mother glared at me a little, her eyes telling me that I better tell her what's up.

"I'm sorry. I just don't feel well." I gave in eventually, deciding I had better come up with a liable excuse if I had to have one at all. She frowned at that, concern melting her features as she leaned forward to press a hand to my forehead.

"Encanto, you are not burning up," she said, commenting in English. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her effort to speak the dreaded language with me.

"It is stomach." I replied back, trying to make my sentence as flowing and defined as her's had been. She beamed at me appraisingly, her eyes glowing in that one moment.

"In that case, you can go upstairs and get some rest. I will speak with Ms. Rose about cancelling your classes for the rest of the evening." She said evenly, sipping her tea. I nodded, standing.

"Alright," I said just as evenly. Strangely, I felt as if I should not talk to her about the animal I'd seen. There were alarm bells ringing in my head at the mere thought.

The loneliness had done it to me, maybe. I guess I was so unused to people that even with family members like my mother; I didn't have an easy time opening up.

The air felt lonely to me as I walked back, despite the guards mulling around, their expressions carefully following me.

As I entered my bedroom, I went to my window, opening the doors to stand on my balcony. I was hoping to possibly catch a view of the creature that had jumped into the tree. It was much too large to be any kind of jungle cat, but it had fur, so I was positively stumped.

I tried to think of any other animal that it could be to no avail. A chill wind swept through the air and I shivered, wrapping my arms tight around my chest. I stepped back into my room, shutting the door. My balcony was to the north of the house, so I guess I wouldn't see the animal anyway. My window was across the way, directly on top of the window I'd witnessed the animal through.

As I pulled my shades, immersing the room in darkness, I thought maybe it could be a bear. But then again, what could a bear be doing Quito? They were not native, and never had been. Actually, the idea of it being a bear was downright preposterous.

I sat on my bed, closing my eyes. I didn't know why I liked the dark so much, I knew some feared it. But it seemed secure to me; you couldn't see things clearly, or for what they were. You remained not knowing. And sometimes, that was better.

I fell into a very fitful sleep, which was unusual since I was always a deep sleeper. Weird dreams floated through my head that I immediately forgot, I had no idea what it all pertained to.

My mother must have believed that I was sick, because she let me sleep for a very long time. I woke a couple times every three or so hours, though I wasn't complaining.

It was around midnight when I fell asleep again, and I started having a nightmare. I was outside my house, by the gate, and something kept telling me to run. But I couldn't; my legs were frozen, and I was immobile. I kept screeching that I couldn't, but the voice just kept telling me that I had to escape.

"Umm… no!" I screamed one final time, and the voice disappeared, and everything turned black. It wasn't a scary dark; it was the kind of dark I liked. I was at peace, when a voice probed through the darkness… the most appealing and engaging voice I'd ever heard. It seemed to know it was beautiful too, because it said, "Beautiful," in a soft murmur. The soft word was spoken with a slight accent, and it lulled me awake. I realized with a jolt it was a real person speaking.

My eyes fluttered open, and I tiredly stared around my room. My eyes traveled to my beside, and a man was standing there.

I could barely see him through the darkness, but he was definitely there. His intense brown eyes murmured to me, welcoming and pulling me in like a caress.

His expression was slightly in panic, slightly in awe. His mouth was puckered into a worried line, his rugged features illustrating the symmetry of his face.

I stared at him in almost wonder for a moment, gazing in incredulity at him. The tugging sensation at my navel was almost towing me to his side, but I just barely restrained myself.

And then, I realized than unfamiliar man was looming over me. For all I knew he could be someone out to hurt me! I opened my mouth to scream, and he dove forward, covering my mouth with a pleading look. "Shh, please, please!" he whispered frantically. I squirmed under his sweltering hand, trying to get away from him.

His elbows were wrapped on either side of my arms, leaving me no room to jump or leap forward. But I did manage to crawl backward a few steps, sheets tangled around my ankles, and I fell to my side, still struggling under him, fear filling me.

"It is okay, I promise I do not want to hurt you!" he tried to assure, and I paused, meeting his gaze. He sounded so… sincere. It stunned me for another moment before I reached up, shoving his hand away.

"Step back!" I demanded shrilly, scrambling up and to the other side of the bed. He immediately did as I asked, as if I controlled him. A moment of shock encased me, but I shoved it away surmising that he knew I was protected by very big, strong men.

"Who are you?" I asked him, my hands clamped into tight fists. "And are you going… to kill me?" I added on, my voice shaking a little bit. Scanning him, I was puzzled to notice he didn't seem to have any weapons on him, nor any bag or instrument to kidnap me.

"My name's Freddie, and Maribel, I would never, ever hurt you in any way." He sounded pained as he spoke the part about hurting me, like it was physically and mentally hurting him… but something else caught my attention.

"How do you know my name?" I whispered, terrified. Was he, like, stalking me or something?

"I heard you and your mom, talking, and she called you Maribel." He said, his voice faltering. I stared at him.

"What the heck are you doing here if you're not going to kill or kidnap me?" I was beginning to get angrier and more scared by the second; I could hardly believe he'd listened in on an actual conversation between my mother and me!

"Maribel, sit down." He said this in a small voice, despite the fact that he was huge. His muscles bulged with every step he took; his face was powerful, and serious, but very sincere.

I tentatively sat on the bed. There was something that drew me to this man, although I wasn't quite sure what it was. "Why?" I spoke warily, sitting as far as possible from him.

"Maribel… I come from a small reservation in America. An Indian reservation, that is." He began, sitting on the ground, as if trying to prove to me he was safe. He was very direct, to the point. I was shocked; because he spoke Spanish perfectly, not even a hint of an accent leaking in.

"We're Quileute. Some of our people are… different. There are many legends, but one of them is of a great chief called Taha Aki." He cleared his throat, glancing nervously around him before lowering his voice. "He and his warriors could turn into wolves for battles." He cleared his throat again before continuing in an even lower voice.

As he spoke more and more of this legend, I got, well, freaked out, to say the least. The man still had me on edge, and I knew at any moment he could whip out a gun and shoot me. I tried to position myself in a place to race to the door if possible… but something about him told me that he wasn't bad, and I didn't want him to be hurt if that wasn't what he intended for me, or any other person in the household.

"Maribel?" he asked now, softly, after he finished. "Do you understand all of that?" He sounded nervous now, and I nodded slowly.

Basically, he was telling me him, his father and the rest of his family either used to or does run around as wolves half the time. But, they weren't dangerous… they protected people from… vampires. That part had made me shiver and swallow in fear. There were some good ones that drank animal blood, but it was his family's job to protect everyone from the rest of them. It was a good story, though I was wondering why he was telling me a fable at this time.

"Uh, yes. I suppose. What does this have anything to do with anything?" I was curious. They were interesting, but seemingly pointless at this point.

"Because they are true." It took a couple minutes for him to say this, but when he did; I gasped, springing up from the bed and backing up a few steps.

"What do you mean?" I demanded sharply, crossing my arms tight over my chest. There was something so truthful in his eyes, but that was impossible! It could not be, it couldn't!

"Maribel, the legends are true. My family are wolves, my father is one, and even I am one." I avoided his eyes as my nostrils flared.

"So you have told me." I spoke stridently, rocking my weight on the balls of my feet. He sighed sadly, taking a timid, short step toward me. He had his hands raised, his head bowed slightly.

"Maribel, I promise you that I would never speak a word of a lie to you." He said this with such passion, I almost faltered in my anger… almost.

"How dare you lie to me like this?" I said, quietly but fiercely. Something in me was begging me to not let Freddie get caught and be taken away.

"I'm not lying, come here." he urged suddenly, holding out his hand. I took a timid step forward, letting him slowly place my fingertips in his hand. The touch sent a surge of comfort through me, and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to leap into his arms and let him carry me off forever.

But as I pressed down harder, I noticed something startling. He was hot, like, sweltering hot. In fact, he was so hot he must be dying… The thought sent a weird source of sadness in my mind, and I inhaled quickly, leaping back.

"Are you… sick?" I asked faintly, and he smiled at me sadly, shaking his head.

"No, that's one of the things about being a wolf. You run an average temperature of 108.9 degrees or so. We can also run extremely fast, and are inhumanly strong." He told me this in a slow voice, sounding afraid that I would run off or something. I just started shaking my head, again and again.

"Why are you telling me this?" I demanded, my toes curling on the carpet. His eyes traveled across my angry face.

"Maribel, sweetheart, it's really complicated. I don't know if you want all that dumped on you today." That made me a tinge bit angry, but I ignored it, appraising him with suspicious.

"Today? Are you going to come back tomorrow?" I hoped a little bit he would, trying to keep my voice monotone. His warmness was… inhuman. If his temperature was indeed over one hundred nine, he should be dead. Again, the thought sent a little burst of panic and pain through me.

"Only if you want me to." I swallowed, playing with a lose thread on my pajama top.

"Yes…" I said hesitantly, and a temporary grin slid across his face that made me smile as well. "But you have to go now. They might hear something, or come to make sure everything's holding up tight, lock all the windows, that stuff." I said, a little bit regretfully. He nodded, that grin coming back on his face.

I knew they would, and I did appreciate it. If someone came in who wasn't as nice as Freddie, I don't know what I would do…

"Alright, I promise you I will be back. I promise." He whispered slowly backing to my window. He flashed a smile at me once more before jumping out my window. I almost cried out, but stopped myself just in time. Sprinting to the window, I saw him streak across the lawn, and, as he reached a tree by our 'prison' wall, he exploded… into a giant, gray wolf.

My mouth fell open. Emotions overwhelmed my brain, and I dizzily shut and locked my window, closing the shades as well. He was truthful. He was a wolf. My god; that was the animal that had freaked me out earlier.

And I think I just befriended him.


	6. I Was Joyful, She Was Wishful

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Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does.

**And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.**

**I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!**

**This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five. Also, this part of the story takes place in Ecuador, therefor the characters are all speaking Spanish.**

**Hallo everyone! I am on cloud nine at the moment, because...wait for it... I got engaged! Sorry, I just can't stop thinking about it... I put in extra effort into the writing, so hopefully you'll enjoy the chapter! **

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Chapter Six – I Was Joyful, She Was Wishful

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August 4th 2038

Freddie POV

I met her. I talked to her. _I talked to her! _My skin buzzed with excitement as I ran back to my house. My legs hurt from the speed I was going, so fast that to any human I would be all but invisible. Everything was so sharp to me; completely in focus.

It was like this glimmer of hope, of getting her out of this dangerous world, which put everything into gear for me. I knew I had to get her out soon. I almost turned around and went right back, already craving more of her.

I had been a little hurt at first, I'll admit, when she was so scared of me. But almost immediately I realized why; who wouldn't be a little… surprised, if a strange man was looming over them in the dead of night?

In fact, after I thought of it, I was quite happy she was smart enough to scramble away from me. If it had been somebody else… I shivered at the thought.

I slowed considerably as I approached the road to my house; I wasn't looking forward to work today and facing Aldo with the knowledge of Hector and Valeria's affair. I didn't convey emotion wildly or uncontrollably, it would just be hard to look him in the eyes and know exactly what is happening behind his back. I would feel like I was betraying him.

I finally stopped, closing my eyes and feeling the heat roll across my spine, until I was human again. I untied the set of clothes from my ankle, pulling them on in fast motion. Dawn was beginning to break, the sun rising slowly; the edges around it were blurred, frayed, and I couldn't help but think of Maribel.

She was beautiful and majestic as the sun, but surrounded by danger and difficulties, like she was worn around the edges. I breathed deeply, inhaling her last lingering scent. With a smile on my face, I sauntered into Aldo's, heading towards the back room where my uniform was.

I was off, thinking of a strategy to convince Maribel to come with me, when Valeria entered. There were bags under her eyes, and she stumbled as she walked to get her notepad and apron. She glanced at me suspiciously as she passed, but I chose to ignore her, instead focusing on lacing my shoes.

"You know." I was a bit startled when she spoke accusingly, her voice low and furious, but I didn't jump or show any indication that I'd heard at all. I still thought it would be best if, for now at least, I stayed out of it. They still had time to think about what they were doing and realize it's wrong. "You know," she said again, her voice small and broken. I didn't expect this strange fade in her tough exterior, so I turned, nodding slightly.

"Yes, after last night, it's very obvious," I said quietly, fighting hard to keep the accusatory tone out of my voice.

"It's not what you think, Freddie. I tried to stay away from him… I did. But he won me over… and-and Aldo is amazing but Hector is just so passionate…" I could see from the defeated look on her face she was about to cry, and I softened a little bit, but only a little.

"Valeria, I'm not looking for any excuse. I just want you to think about what you're doing. I don't like to get in the middle of things, and I really don't want to today." I said this firmly, trying to keep the glare out of my expression. She winced slightly, biting her lip.

"So you won't tell Aldo?" Her Spanish words were laced with mild relief.

"No," I couldn't suppress the scowl this time, and went back to getting ready.

I was a little angry as she left that she'd ruined my jovial mood, but shook it off, trying to summon my ecstasy again. I closed my eyes, and Maribel's eyes shimmered in the darkness… a small smile crossed my lips before I picked up my pen, and swept through the door to start my shift.

As I took orders and catered to rude and absurd customers alike, I thought more about how to talk Maribel into going with me, I knew that if she said no, I wouldn't be able to pressure her, but it would crush me to not be able to save her from this world.

I knew already that I was going to take her to La Push. It was discrete, nobody would suspect it, and it was the safest place in the country, possibly the continent. Between all us wolves, looking out for everyone's safety not only from human drinking vamps, but also from any form of danger.

And if she did agree, how would I get her to La Push? I only had to think about this for a second before the answer became fairly obvious. From my time in Europe, I knew the Cullen's to be very powerful people, they could send me fake ID's and drivers licenses within a day, no problem. They got the most legit looking one's possible, so I could fly her over to Port Angeles and no one would think anything of it.

"Freddie, your order is ready!" Aldo's haphazard voice broke off my thoughts, and I shook my head once, grabbing the tray of food.

It was a fairly busy day, and by the time my shift ended, I wanted nothing more than to never have to step foot in the restaurant again.

Evening rolled around slowly, hours dragging on and on. I counted down the seconds in my room, pacing back and forth like a madman, wandering aimlessly around the halls. If felt like I hadn't seen her in so long; my patience was being tested with each moment I was away from her.

I finally settled on my bed, setting my alarm about an hour before midnight. Thoughts dodged around my brain as I restlessly turned, trying to fend off worries and get sleep. Finally, I lost consciousness, but my dreams still revolved around her… my Maribel.

The blaringly annoying sound of my alarm clock jolted me up, and I scratched the back of my neck, adjusting to the area around me. As I fully remembered what I had to try to accomplish tonight, my back went rigid, and I jumped from the bed to pace.

I took a couple deep breaths before striding to my door, flinging it open determinedly.

I could hear through the thin walls of my room, Valeria and Aldo arguing, but paid them no mind as I, quietly as possible, took the stairs two at a time, passing through the dark shadows of the restaurant to go out the back door.

I phased as soon as the fresh air swept across my face, the heat stirring in my spine sweeping up and morphing me into something else. My gray fur was on edge, my body very aware of each sound around me. The feeling of what I was about to ask my imprint was overwhelming.

I could see perfectly because of my wolf sight, but everything still seemed so dark, a light at the end of a tunnel was leading me to her. My paws ran of their own accord, I didn't even have to think of where to go. I had run this path so many times, I didn't have to.

As I got to the wall surrounding her house, I slowed, trying not to make a sound as I approached the tree to her house.

I knew that her saying yes to leaving everything of her behind would be a long shot. She didn't know me at all, had no idea of how much I cared about her. But I had to start. I had to get her to say yes by the end of the week. I paused before shimmying up the tree, situating myself in the branch. It wasn't quite yet midnight, and I wanted to wait until it was about a quarter after, just to be safe.

As I ran through my plan in my head, I froze a little. I was just going to ask her if she wanted to come to La Push with me. I hissed a little at the thought.

The clarity of my plan had picked up, and I could think more clearly now. That that may be the most unintelligent plan I'd ever thought of. Before, Maribel's safety and well-being had clouded my mind. I had wanted the quickest plan possible. I didn't even understand that proceeding with that plan could freak her out and ruin my chances of taking her in the first place.

I growled, starting to pace like a wild tiger locked in a cage. The branch allowed me little room, and I turned around every two seconds having taken only three steps.

I was going to have to take it slow… well, not too slow, but slow enough that she'd ease into me and the idea of running away.

I sighed heavily as I jumped from the branch, my body landing with an inaudible thud on the ground. My eyes darted around the scene, measuring the footsteps of the men walking in the house, double checking that no one was near.

I dug my claws into the dirt as the seconds ticked by, before noticing a slight pause in steps, a sluggish dragging of feet. I phased back as I ran, I knew my body would be nothing but a blur to any onlooker.

I threw on a pair of shorts before climbing up; I eased into each movement better than I had the other night, my movements much more precise and measured. Her window was creaked open a millimeter; I could push it open easily, jumping into the window in less than a hundredth of a second.

I could hear her hurried breathing perfectly, her body curled around itself under her covers. She was awake, I knew because she tightened as I shut the window.

"Maribel?" I whispered into the room, my voice low as possible. I heard a great breath whoosh out of her before she sat up, untwisting her limbs as she turned to look me over. She tilted her head to the side, inspecting me closely.

"Hello, Freddie, have you safe run?" she said, struggling to speak the English words in her heavily Ecuadorian accented voice, her words were alluring as if they had been dipped in sweet honey. I took a few steps forward without thinking, and her eyes widened a millimeter.

I immediately jumped back, not wanting to upset her. But she shook her head, her eyes probing me forward as she pointed to the end of bed. I gently sat, and we stared at each for a few moments, saying nothing.

Finally, she broke the silence, "why did you come into my room last night?" she asked me, her tone slightly worried as she returned to speaking Spanish. I ran a hand through my wild hair, attempting to stifle the groan that was threatening to escape me.

I cocked my head to the side, thoughtful before answering. It had been a common fact since the very first imprint that once you found her, there was (supposed) to be no reason to hold back from telling her the secrets of La Push. It would, after all, explain a lot about the way we were behaving towards them.

"Remember when I told you about where I grew up? And that myself and my family were wolves?" I questioned. She blanched noticeably, but nodded, bringing her hands up to rest under chin. I was distracted for a moment, in awe at the thoughtful, curious expression on her face… She looked stunning, even as she was frowning.

"Freddie?" she said hesitantly, effectively breaking me out of my daze.

"Lo siento…" I mumbled a quick apology before continuing, "Well, there is something called… imprinting." She gave me a questioning look, her lips parting in an O.

"It's kind of… where a wolf finds a girl, and is drawn to her. Once their eyes, she is the most important and amazing person to them. There is no other as beautiful to him, and they'd do anything to protect her." I decided that I wouldn't explain it fully; I didn't want to scare or disturb her.

I studied her expression, she seemed to be calculating what I had told her, and her eyes widened, and then tightened, her head shooting to look at me. A faint blush fell across her cheeks as she gazed at me shyly.

"Did you imprint on me? Is that why you came here?" she whispered, her mouth pressed into a firm line. I nodded slowly, scooting towards her a little bit to place my hand on her shoulder, rubbing it softly.

"Are you okay?" I asked her nervously, anxiously. She sighed again, nodding her head very slowly as if almost unsure of the answer.

"Yes, I suppose that… Yes." She cleared her throat, her expression still thoughtful.

"Maribel, if you're not okay with me being here..?" The unasked question if she wanted me to leave was apparent in my voice, but I hoped that she would say no, that she wanted me to stay with her forever.

"No! You can stay, just stay!" she said, her voice strict as she scooted closer to me, until she was almost leaning against my arm.

"Maribel," I cleared my throat, deciding a change of subject may make us both more comfortable, "what do you want to do... When you get older, I mean?" I whispered to her, winding my finger through a spring of her hair absentmindedly. She had a sudden intake of breath.

"I don't know. I haven't put much thought on those things." She said, but her voice was tight, wary. I pulled back a little, looking at her.

"Oh, well, do you ever want to travel?" I asked her, I tried to keep the underlying tone of angst out of my voice. I wonder if she guessed where I was heading. I was nervous about it, and I wouldn't push it. There was just a part of me that had to know, I had to find out if she wanted to leave her parents, her house, behind.

"Yes. But I'm not sure how…" she pursed her lips, twiddling her thumbs.

"How what?" I asked gently, my eyes sweeping over hers worriedly. She looked nervous now, a little sad even. It broke me into pieces seeing that longing back in her eyes.

"I just want to get out of here, for even a bit. Just see different things, meet new people… That sort of thing." She whispered. A tear escaped her eye as she bit her lip.

Embarrassed, she swiped the tear away. I moved closer to her, rubbing the side of her arm soothingly.

As I held her close, a little part of me couldn't help but smile… A part of her wanted to go, and that was all I needed. One step closer to her being safe.


	7. Two Words I've Wanted to Say

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does.

And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie and Maribel, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.

I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!

This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five. Also, this part of the story takes place in Ecuador, therefore the characters are all speaking Spanish.

I want to thank my fabulous and absolutely amazing beta, yay4shanghai, for being awesome with me and having so much patience for my terrible writer's block!

* * *

Chapter Seven – Two Words I've Wanted To Say

* * *

August 5th 2038

My world was a bright pool of golden rays of sun; no corner was untouched by the happiness consuming me. I couldn't stop smiling even in wolf form; my soul was dancing and calling out in pure happiness, finally rejoicing in the fact that I knew Maribel.

I had comforted her, and she climbed into my lap, and I just held her. We didn't speak at all; I just rocked her back and forth, until she stopped hiccupping. She fell asleep in my arms, and my mind reeled as I thought of those moments, her heartbeat matched mine, she was pressed against my chest, her skin felt like that of a porcelain doll. A faint blush trailed her cheek.

It was when she started huffing and panting that I released her from my hold, letting her lean body roll under the soft cotton sheets of her bed. I tucked her in, my lips lightly pressing her wild mass of curls. She had stirred a little, mumbling an incoherent word or two under her breath, before settling down.

She looked peaceful as she slept, her soft lips were plump and pouty, her soft eyelids, add the halo of light that radiated from her at all times, she was an angel. It had pained me when I had to leave, but I would be back the next night. She knew that, hopefully.

I would try to convince her tomorrow of how much I really did adore her, how much I craved for her safety and needed it… I wanted her to know, to an extent, that it tortured me when I had to leave her alone.

I knew that she loved her mother, that was evident in the way she spoke of her, so strong and confident and sure, but there was a hint of sorrow in her sweet Spanish words. When she spoke of her father, there was more of a… yearning, in her. As though she wished she could know him as well she did her mother, but could only love him with what she knew.

I could see she was fairly happy, which would bring me some ray of hope in a tunnel of darkness if she turned down my offer to come to La Push.

My thoughts digressed as La Push entered my mind. I knew that if she did or did not agree, I would hopefully persuade her to by the end of the week. I could reason with her every minute on the minute… I was hoping that she wouldn't ask or tell me to leave; I wouldn't be able to say no to her no matter what she wanted.

But if she did agree, I was hoping that I could ask my sister, Soledad, to let us stay with her, for at least the time being. I didn't want to be a burden on her, now that she had a newfound happiness and way of life with Randy.

Another peak of happiness encased me as I thought of them. Randy Dru, possibly the most upbeat, happiest person in Washington, is and has been completely in love with my sister for all of her life. He's been doting and has followed her around with a Goddess like devotion. I was surprised, and yet couldn't have been more delighted when Soli called me with news of her finally accepting Randy.

I phased quickly as I neared my own apartment. When I reached my door, I was once again greeted by the scent of fresh sex, though Valeria was gone and from what I heard Hector was asleep. I felt a small tremor roll down my back before I breathed deeply, closing my eyes and thinking of Maribel… Her spicy scent played around in my mind, and sent a wave of peace through me before I stepped inside, holding my breath as I made my way to my own room.

Flipping out my phone, I punched in Soli's number. It rang twice before she picked up, her greeting was breathy and lighter than I'd expect, even considering Randy into her life. I laughed before greeting her back. I could hear Randy's soft murmur to her in the back round, a voice that had flashbacks of my childhood flashing before me; I hadn't talked to him or Annie in so long.

"How are things going, Freddie?"

"Things are… well," I didn't know whether that was understatement, or an overstatement, "But I have some very big news." There was a pause on the other end of the line before she spoke.

"Well, are you going to tell me this news?" she said finally, wryly.

"I'm coming back, to La Push, I mean…" I could hear her intake or surprise on the other end of the line. "A life of traveling, of academia, is just not for me. I love La Push, I want to go back home." It was a lie, but I didn't feel guilty. It was necessary.

"Are you fucking kidding? Freddie, you've wanted to do what you're doing now your whole damn life! What's with the change of heart?" Her words were spoken with an angry passion, but I could understand why.

As children, we both yearned to get out into the world, we both knew that there was a place and time for us beyond the confines of the tiny reservation, and were ecstatic when mom and dad announced our move, glad to finally get our dream recognized.

Soledad's imprint drew her back to La Push, and I knew she would rather die now, than go away from her Randy, and my heart swelled for that, but she would want me, to at least accomplish what I've wanted for so long.

I only had to convince her that what I wanted now, was more important, it overshadowed all else… I was not sacrificing anything; I was willingly giving it up for her.

"Soli, you need to understand that right now, things are changing for me. I see things differently. I need to go home, for my own sanity and wellbeing." Technically, none of that was a lie. I did see the world differently, and if I didn't bring Maribel to the safest place I could think of, I would be giving up my sanity.

"Anyway, I was just wondering if you and Randy would be willing to share your apartment, just for a little while, of course."

"Of course you can, Freddie. If you _really _insist that you're not interested in a life of academics… we'll be happy to share the apartment." I could hear the smile in her voice, and grinned as well.

"Thanks, Soli! That means a lot." As I finished speaking, I heard the hallway creak, and could sense the light footsteps of Valeria. My hand clenched around my small phone. "I'd better go… some things are calling me to attention."

After we said our goodbyes, I flung my phone onto my bed, striding into our main room.

The door was opening, and Valeria poked her head through. I scoffed at her as she saw me. Her eyes widened in shock, a sense of dread suddenly radiated from her body as she stiffed.

She stood straighter, ducking through the door with her shameful eyes to the floor. "Freddie, what are you doing awake at this hour at night?" Her voice trembled as she spoke, and she sounded weak, scared.

"Couldn't sleep… But I could ask the same of you… Actually, I was wondering what you were doing in Hector and I's apartment?" I said in a condensing way, leaning forward with a patronizing look of interest on my face.

She winced as she crossed her arms over her chest. She drifted to our table, patterns of the moonlight falling across her skin in different patterns as she moved… The shadow she cast stretched long across the carpet; it creepily bounced around with her movements.

"Ju haf no clue, not one, of how difficult this is for Hector and me! We are guilt. We feel terrible," she cried, thrusting her hands with each syllable spoken, trying to get her meaning across. She was speaking English, I assumed so Hector wouldn't understand if he were to hear.

"But you know you're both hurting each other, and everyone else involved? I thought you and Aldo married so that you wouldn't have to fear your father's protest?" I hissed, speaking in fluent Spanish, if Hector were to hear me, it didn't matter… He should hear this as much as Valeria.

"My father beat me. It was the only way to escape him… Aldo adores me, maybe, but do I adore him? No." She spoke Spanish as well, her words running together into one as she got herself worked up. I wasn't too shocked to find that her father beat her, although I'd never come to that conclusion.

She flinched when Aldo sometimes reached up to part her hair, and didn't get too close to anybody. She was very timid around people, her eyes always downcast.

"Valeria, I am sorry your father hit you. If I would have met you before this, I would have saved you. But you cannot keep on living like this, pretending that you love Aldo." I said firmly. A tear escaped the corner of her eye; it ran down her cheek until rolling across her lips, it pooled on the indent of her chin before dripping onto her shirt.

"I think… I know what I must do… But I can't begin to think of it yet." Her hands fluttered around her body after she spoke, before falling uselessly to her sides.

"Well, try," I growled.

"I will." She bit her lip, looking longingly over my shoulder. Her whole body leaned forward, but her feet stayed planted to her spot. Finally, she turned, heading to the door. As she exited, I shook my head with some regret.

If only I could be here for the emotional drama and hurt to come…

As I ran to Maribel's place the next morning, I was feeling quite hopeful for the rest of the day. I didn't know what she'd think of me if she found out I watched her during the day, and I didn't particularly want to find out.

She was in her bedroom, I saw, as I perched on the tree, painting her nails. Her eyelashes were brushing her cheek, they were curled perfectly. Her brilliant eyes were downcast, measuring each stroke of her brush…

The color was a bright yellow; she was painting over a sky blue. I was fascinated with the way she was so concentrated, so focused on not getting one speck of the paint on her skin. She breathed a huge sigh after she finished, and lay down on her stomach. Her palms were balanced in front of her, her long fingers stretched out.

Her willowy legs were crossing and uncrossing behind her as she gently blew on her hands. I leaned forward until I was balanced dangerously on the branch, trying to get a better view of her.

The binds pulling me towards her tightened, almost dragging me forward as I deftly leapt off of the tree. I took three great leaps across the lawn, my body sailing accordingly so I could reach the house in time so no one would see me.

I knew I was taking a chance by visiting her in broad daylight, where someone could knock on her door at any moment, but a part of me didn't care… The bindings were suffocating almost, and my eyes itched to see her.

I latched my fingers onto the deck and climbed up swiftly. Her window was unlatched, and I could see her tilt her head up to catch a breeze that was blowing through. I hooked my fingers over the sill and let my body lurch forward and into the room within a millisecond.

Maribel's eyes widened as she saw me, and then she gasped before leaping up. "Freddie, what are you doing here now? How could you get in without being seen?" she asked in rapid, low Spanish. I just shook my head at her questions.

"I'm quick, I suppose you could say." I smiled at her crookedly before taking a little step forward, holding out my arms. She smiled at me widely before falling into them.

"I was thinking about what you said," she whispered slowly, and I let her go. She fell onto the bed, laying down with her hands on her stomach. I mimicked her movements and turned my head so we were staring in the other's eyes.

"And?"

"I was wondering… I mean…" she took a deep breath fidgeting under my gaze. "Freddie, from the connection I feel, I have no doubt that what you said is true. I care about you already, and I know I should be wary but I trust you." She let out a shaky laugh before continuing,

"Last night I told you I wanted to go out, get away from my parents and all the restrictions that come from living with them… What I was wondering was; could you help me? To leave I mean, to escape?"

Her eyes were so wide, so troubled, yet so earnest and hopeful, and I couldn't help the two words that escaped my own mouth, "Of course."


	8. Being Confused and Other Emotions

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does.

And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie and Maribel, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.

I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!

This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five. Also, this part of the story takes place in Ecuador, therefore the characters are all speaking Spanish.

Kisses to my fab beta, yay4shanghai!

* * *

Chapter Eight – Being Confused and Other Emotions I Don't Enjoy

* * *

August 5th 2038 – August 7th 2038

I couldn't get Freddie out of my mind he consumed each thought I had. All I could think of was his deep, rough voice, his bulging muscles. His smile, which had shown only a few times, it was small and blinding, his lips curving up in a small motion before smoothing out.

I couldn't pay attention to my lessons or my mother all day. I wanted him to be there, with me, every second. I could almost feel him, when I knew he was watching. He didn't mention anything about watching me, and I didn't ask.

I knew though, because I could feel the slight tugging around my navel area whenever he was in the room, leading right to him. I felt it all the time in broad daylight. I would search for him endlessly, trying to catch a glimpse of Freddie.

He drew me in; he made me feel safe, the longer we were apart the more I craved to be held in his arms. I did not know him very well, only for a few days, but there was so much of me telling me to trust him. The rational part of me was screaming at myself to think about how I might regret trusting him…

There were so many questions that remained unanswered about him. Imprinting was what he called our connection, and I couldn't stop myself from believing him, I reminded myself of the pull to him again, the trust I felt in him with every move he made.

I saw with my own eyes that he was a werewolf… I still didn't understand why I wasn't more afraid of him. He exploded into a dangerous, huge creature that could kill me so easily. But he seemed so human, so compassionate and caring and intelligent.

I look in his eyes and felt adored and special, they invite me in and I get lost, but I'm lost in a field of chocolate flowers.

He didn't scare me at all, no the thing I was scared about was him alone. It was the thought of not feeling that safety and warmth anymore that scared me. It petrified me to ponder him leaving, not seeing him at night anymore.

Though I figured rather quickly that he would have to leave me some day; Freddie seemed like a free soul. He wouldn't want to see me at night only, his whole world revolving around sneaking in and finding a way to see me more.

If he took me to where he grew up, eh… La Push, he would be able to pursue whatever he wanted. He wouldn't have to worry about me at all; we could see each other for the majority of the day.

I knew with his intelligence that he would find a way to get me out of the yard, and get me to America. I myself don't know how he would be able to do it, but I believed in him more than I had ever believed in anybody else.

But at the idea of leaving, guilt consumed me. Two single people poured into my brain: mother and father.

Father would be upset beyond measure; he would pour every ounce of his energy into trying to find me. He would work himself to death very literally, to try and get me back. My father was strong though, he would be able to deal with it eventually. I would never be able to come back if I left, they would never leave my side, hold onto me forever.

But leaving my mother forever was so dreadfully painful to think about that my knees buckled just having the brief thought cross my mind. She was not my father, she was delicate and I don't know how she would be able to get through it.

She was in her mid-thirties, so another child to replace me wasn't completely out of the question, but I dismissed the idea right away. My mother often mentioned she hated being pregnant and would never do it again… I also knew she would never be able to replace me with anybody. She so often told me I was her special flower, an angel that God granted her specially. She would be too haunted to even think of having another, and the idea was preposterous anyway.

I was stuck, caught in the middle of two needs, the need for happiness, for freedom and warmth, and the need for family and love and a sense of belonging with the woman who raised me to be the woman I would one day become.

I tried my hardest to think of pros and a con for each choice, but this isn't the kind of thing where you could list pros and cons and expect for the thing with the most pros to work for you. Both decisions would ultimately be painful.

But when Freddie climbed into my window each night, all unhappiness wavered away from me, he was my solution, it seemed, and I knew that I would be miserable without being with him. I knew the only choice that would put me at even just a little peace would be to go to America with him.

I tried not to think of the fact that my mother would be crushed beyond comprehension… I hoped with every part of me that she could get over it. I wished on fifty stars that night that she would find as much happiness with me as I would hopefully find with Freddie.

So I finally gathered my courage one night and asked him, asked him if he would take me away and we could be with each other all the time and not have to worry about anybody else.

And the two words that popped out of his mouth filled me with such joy I almost squealed and leaped in the air; of course.

"Are you sure?" I whispered to him silently in Spanish. He looked at me, grinned one of his gorgeous smiles, and nodded.

"Mari, I'm surer of this than of anything else. Tell me when, and I can schedule it right away, I can organize anything," he promised, a smile still lighting up his face. I noticed that the corner of his eyes kind of crinkled when his grin stretched really wide.

"Thank you, so much. You do not know how much this means to me!" I sang, hugging him tightly. I didn't let go though, instead I climbed on his lap and let him hold me. His heat was comforting, like home. I fit perfectly into his arms, like he was molded for my shape and I sighed contentedly.

"I think I want to leave in about ten days or so…" I whispered, trying to keep the slight edge of sadness in my voice. I think Freddie noticed though, because he pulled me tighter against his chest, smoothing my wild hair over my head.

"So soon?"He murmured in a concerned tone. I nodded, clasping my hands together.

It was getting darker and darker, the moon was dim and almost no light was glinting in the room. I liked the dark, it was filled with the unknown, and I didn't have to face my fears because I couldn't see them.

"Yes, we should do this quickly. I don't want anyone to get too suspicious… But I also want to spend some final time with my parents." Freddie looked at me guiltily and I blanched.

"Don't worry, Freddie… this was my choice. I decided that I wanted to be with you in… um, La Puck?"

"La Push, Mari," he smirked. He was amused by me, and I beamed at that. I wanted to make him as happy as possible.

We didn't talk much after that, he rocked me gently and I pressed my head to his chest, listening peacefully to his heartbeat. I was almost asleep when I felt him shift, and stand. He gently laid me on my bed, pulling my sheet to my chest before kissing my hair.

My eyes were closed, but I felt every move he made. When I heard his footsteps, I realized he was going to leave and the thought had my heart beating painfully, my throat tightening agonizingly.

"Don't…" I murmured, my voice soft as I was already half asleep. Freddie chuckled, bending down next to me to rub my shoulder.

"Shh, sweetheart! I'll be back tomorrow, I promise." I barely heard his words before letting sleep overcome me.

"Maribel! Ju get up right now! Your mama is vwaiting downstairs for you!" Ms. Rose's sharp voice woke me up as she pulled the curtains open, letting the blaring light of the sun shine through. I squinted against the light, holding my hand as a shield against my eyes.

"Ms. Rose, you don't have to wake me up in English…" I mumbled in Spanish myself, rubbing my eyes lazily. She snorted, crossing her arms as she laid an outfit across the bed for me.

"Please, darling, ju need all the practice ju can get!" she laughed, throwing her head back before bowing out of my room.

As her words ran through my head, I flushed in embarrassment. She was right, I was going to America, and therefore I should probably get a head start on the language.

My stomach churned as I uneasily stood, balancing myself as I stepped through my outfit, which was a cotton red sundress with petite blue sandals. I had surprisingly small feet, a size five, compared to my mother who was a size 9 and a half.

The day passed without suspicion or complication from my mother, I tried to act as normal and fine as possible while also trying to spend as much time with her as possible. I focused hard on my studies, especially English, which actually did make Ms. Rose curious. I was thankful that she didn't question my sudden change of heart.

I would miss Ms. Rose too, she had been a second mother to me since I was a young girl, and now I would lose her as well. At least I found some consolation that my mother would have a friend to lean on for a while.

As the clock read the end of the day, I paced my room wildly, not being able to lie down, just for a minute. I was already tingling with excitement, waiting for him to arrive.

He was about an hour early from our usual time when he did get there, but he explained he couldn't wait to see me either, he wanted to too badly.

I smiled at him, latching onto his waist as he sat next to me. "What do you want to do, sweetheart?" he murmured to me, and I looked at him crookedly.

"Just rock me some more, I love it. It's the best way to fall asleep," I whispered sweetly, and he melted before me, cradling me in his arms.

"Anything you want, Maribel," he whispered serenely.

The next morning was much like the last, Ms. Rose woke me and I had breakfast with mother. I was jittery though, the days I had left to spend with her had just ticked down to nine, and I could hardly get a handle on it.

Second thoughts already flooded my mind; I tried to think of excuses… I mean, my mother may do something drastic if she found I was gone.

What if they found out where Freddie took me? What would happen if father found where I was and wouldn't stop at anything to get me back? If that happened I knew I would never be able to see Freddie again, ever.

Yet, if we kept doing this, him sneaking in every night, maybe that would work! There would be no chance of father finding out because Freddie is so quick; he could be out the window in a second.

"Maribel! My, my darling, ju are so out of it today. Yesterday ju were so into vwhat we were doing! What's going on?" Ms. Rose interrupted my thoughts in a concerned voice, brushing hair out of my face.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Rose. I am trying my hardest very," I said honestly, and Ms. Rose chuckled.

"I am sure you are darling."

As she continued on, I couldn't stop myself from daydreaming more. I was bombarded with thoughts of my escape from Freddie.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, and in that second, I could feel his warm arms around me, feel everything about him, how much he loved me and I already couldn't help but love him, and all doubt vanished from my mind.

It was going to be him and me, and I would be able to thrive on that, that I was going to be able to learn and go places with my life.

And he helped me to get it, and my excitement grew.


	9. The Escape

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does.

And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie and Maribel, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.

I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!

This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five.

Hugs to all the reviewers and especially to the brilliant yay4shanghai!

* * *

Chapter Nine – The Escape

* * *

August 11th – August 16th 2038

It had been a week since Maribel made the decision to let me take her to La Push, and I had been putting off calling Jasper since then. It wasn't that I didn't want her to go, I did more than anything. But if she decided to back out, I didn't want to already have all of the stuff, tempting me to just take her, despite her will…

But I couldn't put it off any longer. We were leaving in less than five days, and everything had to be ready. If she did decide not to go, I would have to deal with it… Maybe I could rip everything up. But her not coming to La Push made me shiver in fear, I couldn't go through another week of not knowing if she safe, I had been standing at the edge of an endless abyss for the past few weeks, and her saying that she'd rather stay would be the final push to have me toppling into darkness.

Then Maribel had asked me yesterday, in her cute, bad English, whether I had 'all my everything' we needed. I knew I would need a picture of her to take to Jasper, so she got out her digital camera, making sure it the flash was off before I clicked a picture of her.

I slowly took my phone out of my pocket, leaning forward on the kitchen counter as I pressed the number eight, speed dial for Jasper. It barely rang once before it was picked up.

"Hello Freddie," Jasper greeted, and I smirked slightly.

"Did Alice tell you I was going to call?" I guessed. I heard him chuckle.

"No, caller ID did," he said smoothly, making me feel a bit ridiculous.

"Ah, of course. I was just calling for some…help." There was silence on the other end of the line, and I guessed he was trying to surmise why I might be calling.

"And that help would be..?" He finally spoke, and his voice was slightly dipped in suspicion. I winced at his tone, but kept calm as I spoke again.

"Well, I imprinted… I need some help sneaking her out of the country," I said, a bit uneasily. It was unnerving having to tell someone of my plans; I feared he would stop me from taking her. There was more silence until Jasper finally spoke.

"And you need some fake ID to get her out of there?" he guessed. I was relieved that there wasn't a disappointing or judging tone in his voice, it was merely curious.

"Yes, that would definitely be helpful," I sighed, twiddling the electric cord for the coffee maker in my hand. "I was hoping you could get them to me rather quickly. I'll need them soon." I tried not to sound too desperate.

"Of course. Just give me ages and names, the kind of documentation you need." Jasper assured, and I smiled, pleased. Jasper was known in our family for his reliability, he could get you whatever you wished with ease.

I thought about what we could be called. Maribel was smart, she would understand that she couldn't call me Freddie for a while, but I wanted something similar to our real names in case one of us slipped.

"I'll be Teddy…Kane, and Marie Kane will be my niece. I can e-mail you a picture of her as well as myself. I'll be twenty-two; Maribel can pass as fourteen…" She was a couple months past her fifteenth birthday, but I didn't want anything too exactl. I couldn't and wouldn't take the risk of us being found out.

Every bit of my nerves were buzzing inside me, I didn't really get too emotional, or I didn't before I came back to Quito, so everything seemed as if it was balanced on my shoulders. I knew I would be able to deal with it, I had to.

"I'll need a driver's license; we'll both need passports and birth certificates." I added.

"Do middle names matter?"

I thought about his question briefly before replying, "No, not really. Just do generic ones, Christina and James are fine I suppose."

I took out my laptop, loading internet. It took a while up here, but thankfully I had already had one minimized in the toolbar, so I quickly e-mailed Maribel's picture to Jasper, which I had downloaded yesterday after much internal debate.

"Alright, I think I have all the information. Once I receive your imprint's picture, everything should be close to ready. You'll receive everything in one or two days." Jasper promised. I thanked him; he had no idea of the gratitude I felt. There was no hope without these papers.

"Oh, and Freddie? Could I ask why you need to sneak a fourteen-year-old girl out of Ecuador?" Jasper asked lightly. I could almost read his mind; he was probably guessing that her parents weren't aware of this. I was hoping the reason he was going to send me the papers was because he trusted me, but I had no idea.

"She's just in a… compromising family situation. She decided she would come along with me, I happily agreed. She may be in danger over there." I replied my voice cracking with emotion slightly as I ended my sentence. Jasper was silent for a moment before he sighed.

"Alright, I believe you. You're an honest man Freddie. Just make sure to be careful." I thanked him and we hung up quickly, him again promising the papers would arrive shortly.

I stared intently at the phone, my thoughts reaching other places. All my senses were on high alert as I realized this was happening. This was actually happening. My heart thumped painfully in my chest as I closed my eyes, rubbing my forehead to rid myself of the headache I was sure to suffer through for the next couple days.

~*~*~

I ran through my bedroom like a madman, glancing at the clock to make sure I wasn't going to be late. My bedroom, the room I had called home for the past couple years, was almost bare. It was so unfamiliar, and left me with an unsettling feeling. I couldn't fight the feeling of leaving the place that had given me so much hope, so much to consider.

I had scheduled for my stuff to be sent back to La Push, calling Claire a few days ago to ask if it was okay to be shipped to her house. I was relieved when she'd willingly replied; I wanted to surprise Soli with Maribel. My sister was an opinionated person, and I knew she may judge the fact that I had to leave my studies for my imprint. I didn't want that happening before she got to know what a sweet person my Mari is.

I also didn't want to risk her finding some of Maribel's clothes, which I had snuck out with my stuff because we aren't going to be able to carry suitcases. She had sighed, but agreed I was right, it may weigh us down. I was planning to have her take one carry-on, me another of her's so she could take as many of her possessions as she needed.

I felt guilty that she had to give up so much, when she didn't do anything wrong, though she tried to convince me she didn't mind numerous times, I knew she did tremendously. Sometimes I studied her at night, and she looked troubled, guilty, at times and it worried me. If she was going to be unhappy about all of this, I knew I would have to back down. It would be unbearable to leave her in so much insecurity at night, I just needed to double-check that I didn't leave behind anything important; I would be screwed if I did because I knew once I left with her I could never come back.

I arched my back, cracking my knuckles twice. The tension was rolling up my back, making me quiver. I had all the stuff from Jasper stuffed in a pouch tied to my leg, in case I needed to phase on the fly.

Anticipation was running through me, making my body twitch in anticipation. I turned my phone off, stuffing it in the pouch as well. I glanced at the clock once again and wrung my hands before stepping outside my room, shutting the door with finality.

I carefully tore a piece of paper from a notepad in our, Hector's, kitchen and wrote a small message in Spanish saying I was sorry for not explaining, but leaving was something I had to do. I wished him luck with everything, and told him to tell Aldo good luck as well.

I stepped into the hall as I finished, and was surprised to find Valeria right in front of me. She looked shocked, and jumped a foot in the air. "Oh my! Freddie down voice! Shh!" she whispered rapidly in English when I opened my mouth to speak to her, pressing her finger to her lips.

"Aldo is sleeping in our apartment right above here!" she said, now in Spanish. I stared at her in a scrutinizing way, and then noticed she was carrying a suitcase and several bags. I pointed to them, my eyes immediately demanding an explanation.

Her mouth puckered into a line when her eyes trailed to where my finger was pointing. Her eyes swam with water as she avoided my gaze. "Oh, Freddie… I-I'm sorry! I cannot help it. Hector is passion and Aldo is comfort and I cannot choose! They are both my loves and I have to leave. Whichever I do choose, I will split them apart!" she wept as quietly, and I closed my eyes.

I could not deal with Valeria right now, I could not. "Valeria, do you really assume that leaving is the best option?" I was proud that I kept my exposure as I spoke, not showing her how desperate I was to get to Maribel… I couldn't run late tonight.

"Yes! I do! They'd be better off without me," she whispered sadly. I sighed dejectedly before grabbing her shoulder, making her look into my eyes.

"You know that's not the right thing. Now, close your eyes." She did as was told, and I removed my hands from her shoulders. "Okay, picture both Aldo and Hector in front of you. Now imagine one of them leaving, forever. And then the other."

She bit her lip as thought, before slowly opening her eyes. "The person that was more painful to lose, that's the one." I advised, and she nodded, tears swimming in her eyes.

"Oh… I do not know how I will go about this…" she whispered sadly, and I glanced towards the stairs desperately.

"I'm sorry, Valeria. You'll have to figure this out on your own. I have to leave." I leaned forward; wrapping an arm around her should briefly before dashing down the hall, taking the stairs two at a time as I flung out of the restaurant.

My excellent hearing, though, allowed me to hear her wrapping on Hector's door, and telling him who she chose… him. I had no time to dwell on that, however, as I sprang down the street, toward the well memorized path to her house.

Once the wall surrounding Maribel's house was in view, my heart picked up speed. My breath was uneven, the binds pulling me to Maribel almost skidded my feet across the ground. My lungs were on fire, I had never run this fast. I suppose it was the fact that I was so aware that soon, I could have Maribel in my arms, and everything would be okay after that. I jumped over the wall, making my way across the yard still the fastest I've ever gone. I scaled her wall, jumping through her open window to find her sitting on her bed, her hands folded neatly over her lap. Two bags were sitting next to her, and she was looking agitated, the soles of her feet bouncing.

As she saw me her face lit up, a smile breaking across her face as she leapt forward, throwing her arms around my neck. "You late?" she said clumsily, and I grinned encouragingly at her. I had been helping her with some English lately, she would have to get used to speaking a lot of it.

"I am sorry," I told her, nuzzling her neck affectionately. She pursed her lips but rolled her eyes, turning to gather her bags. She handed them to me and I held them gently, careful not to move them around too much.

"I just need to say goodbye," she whispered, though her voice was cracking. I nodded silently, stepping back in the shadows. This was the last moment she was going to be in this room, and my heart ached for her. She shouldn't have to leave everything, her family, her home, behind… for me.

"Maribel- wait. Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked her, cocking my head to the side. She let out one, long breath before slowly giving me a nod. She gave me an awkward half-smile before turning around, scanning her room. She reached up to her face, brushing across her eyes to swipe away some tears. Tentatively, she opened her bedside table drawer and took out a note… I could see 'Mama' scrawled across the top of it. Maribel pressed a hand to her heart, leaning down to kiss the envelope softly, her pink lipstick making a light marking on the paper.

"Lo siento…" she choked, holding back tears. My gut wrenched, and I wanted nothing more than to leap forward and hold her, make her pain go away… but seeing that she had written her mom a note confirmed that she had made her decision, and that was to leave with me.

Also I knew she had to have some kind of closure with this place, and if this was it I wouldn't stop it.

"Alright… ready I am," she trembled in her English, and I forced a smile at her. She took one deep breath, stopping her shaky, silent sobs and rubbing away her tears before picking her bags up.

"Okay, get into my arms." She did as was told, and I placed her bags in her lap, telling her to hold onto them tightly. She was nervous, that was evident, so I tried to calm her down.

"Okay Mari, we have to jump through the window. Don't look down, and if you feel like screaming, just bite my shoulder," I advised her, and she nodded, her eyes so wide they faintly reminded me of a bug.

"Alright, I'll jump on three, so close your eyes by then, okay sweetheart?" I whispered to her, and she nodded stiffly. I pecked her head nuzzling her cheek once before stepping onto the frame of the window.

"Ready… one… two… three!" I jumped off the ledge, and glanced down at Mari. She had her eyes squeezed shut, her head pressed into my chest as she let out a low pitch squealing sound.

The jump lasted only five seconds, but I knew she must feel like the earth was falling from under her feet.

I landed softly on the balls of my feet, whispering to make sure she was okay. She shuddered, but nodded once. I couldn't help but notice that she was panting, a flushed look had entered her face, her eyes wide as her eyes wildly scanned the area.

I checked the time for footsteps, calculating the correct time, before bolting across the lawn. Maribel once again closed her eyes, but she wasn't as stiff, I was glad to note she was beginning to relax. I had rented a car for us, though we couldn't pick it up for five miles off, so she would have to be carried in my arms for a little while.

I reached the wall and backed up two steps, before leaping over it, soaring through the air made Maribel squeak, but as I glanced down at her, I realized she was smiling softly.

"Okay, Maribel. We're over your wall. We're out," I smiled at her, and she giggled back, throwing her arms around my neck jovially.

"Thank ju, Freddie so much! I enough can not thank ju!" she whispered, happy tears glinting in her eyes. I beamed, joy filling me that I could make her so happy.

We fell into a silence after that, me running through the backstreets at my own pace, Maribel resting against my chest, breathing in and out, slowly.

Suddenly, she gasped loudly, squirming in my arms. "Wait! Freddie! Wait, stop running!" she yelled urgently in Spanish, and I skidded to a stop, panic rising in me as I scanned the forest… I saw nothing but dark, gangly trees sticking out in every direction.

"What, Mari, what's wrong?" I whispered, cradling her even more tightly against my chest. She sat up in my arms, staring me straight on.

"We have to go back, Freddie! I forgot something!" she cried, twisting around and trying to jump away from me. I looked at her, my mouth agape in shock.

"You… forgot something?" I asked in disbelief. She nodded desperately, her lip trembling slightly. With that look on her face… I couldn't deny her anything.

I groaned before turning around, and sprinting back towards her house.

It was stupid. It wasn't logical at all, they could have found out she was back by now, but if something was really that important to her, how could I say no?

"Alright, Maribel, I can't risk you going back in there…" I swallowed as I slowed to a stop, glancing towards her house and back at her again.

"Maribel, I'm sorry sweetheart. I'm afraid if I take you in there, you won't be able to get back out. I have to leave you here, just for a little." I whispered a little. She chocked in fear, slapping a hand over her mouth.

"But Freddie-" she squeaked, and I put a finger over her lips.

"You can see the wall, right there. And if anything is wrong, just scream, and I will literally be here in seconds. Okay? Just tell me what you need and I'll get it. Right away." She closed her eyes, letting out one, slow breath, before opening her eyes again and nodding slowly.

"Okay. It is in a black shoebox, in the back of my closet. There are four pictures in it, take them, please!" she begged, and my I remembered what seemed like a million years ago, watching her take that box out and look at the picture of her dad.

As I ran, and leapt back over the wall, I understood that that would be the only part of her family left. My heart pumped out of my chest for my Maribel… I wanted so badly to make this all go away. Let her have a normal life where she could see her parents all the time, and be with me the rest of the time.

I scaled her window, and leapt through. Looking around, I noticed no one was here, and breathed a sigh of relief. I paced towards her closet, and immediately spotted the box at the back. Picking it up, I smiled at the hearts drawn over the lid.

And then, her door opened. My heart picked up its speed as footsteps paced across her floor to her bed, and her mother's voice called out, "Maribel? Baby, I could not sleep… I was worried about you!" I swallowed, and then I heard her feet stop. And then… a loud, piercing scream sounded.

Shit, shit, shit! Not good, this is terrible. I stepped out of the closet, saying pressed against the wall. I poked my head around the corner, and saw a man sprint into the room, starting to ask what was wrong. I couldn't even comprehend what Mrs. Castillo was saying through her sobs, but the man must have because he shouted for some more people.

I quickly bolted across the room, careful not to make one sound as I leapt onto the window sill.

"Hey! Who are you?" Mrs. Castillo suddenly shrieked in fear, and I turned back, seeing her look at me. Panic rose in me and I jumped, leaping from the window at a fast rate.

I spared a glance back and saw her and the man standing at the window, she screaming in anger and disbelief, him glaring menacingly at me.

I leapt over the wall without looking back getting to Maribel in seconds. She stood quickly, smiling gratefully as I stuffed the box in her arms.

"Oh, Freddie, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed, hugging it to her chest. The happy look on her face was enough to get me to calm down.

"Did you get caught?" she asked me, concerned. She probably noticed my haphazard, slightly panicked expression.

"Yes… your mother caught a glance at me. This is why we have to hurry, sweetheart. Now, climb into my arms," I said, but I controlled my voice so it wouldn't sound worried. She did as I asked, and I began running.

She didn't stir in my arms; just softly shut her lids as I sprinted, this time at full speed. I was slightly worried they were somehow following us, though it would be impossible for a human to run at this speed. Still, I think I was perfectly justified to be a bit paranoid.


	10. It's Not Technically a Kidnapping!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does.

And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie and Maribel, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.

I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!

This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five.

So, I'm sorry for not being able to write out another chapter sooner, but one of my younger sisters, she's fourteen, has been diagnosed with leukemia and I'm extremely stressed with that, on top of my senior year finishing off. Thank you to everybody being kind and patient with me! I love all of you, and especially my epic beta, yay4shanghai!

Also- I know so far things have been going pretty slow-pace, but after this time will be going faster.

* * *

Chapter Ten – It's Not Technically a Kidnapping!

* * *

August 17th – August 18th 2038

It was well past six in the morning when we finally got to the nearest airport that would take us to Port Angeles, we got lucky in the fact that there was a flight scheduled to there at all, but I had my suspicions about the Cullen's pulling some strings.

Looking at it from a distance, the place seemed oddly empty, even though there were people bustling in and out of the door and my intense hearing could pick out hundreds of footsteps inside.

Our flight would leave at about eight o'clock, so that hopefully gave us enough time to get ready. This was the biggest airport of Ecuador, the security was tight, though not as scathing as America's. I pulled the tiny car into the parking lot, not caring where I put it as I rented it under a fake name.

I shook Maribel awake, and she mumbled incoherent words in Spanish, before her eyes fluttered open. She looked around, yawning lightly as she stretched her long arms. She had a slightly dreamy look to her face as we got out of the car, me supporting her light weight as she was still slightly unconscious.

"Are we there yet, Freddie?" she mumbled, trying to wake herself. I paused at the beginning of the car, stopping her.

"Alright, I wanted to remind you, _Marie_ that my name is Teddy, and I am your uncle. I am bringing you to America because your parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kane, wanted you to study abroad," I said, enunciating each word so she would get how important sticking to this story was. I did want any chance of mistake.

We both walked into the airport, and Maribel clutched my hand as the doors slid open to reveal a large space, though not many people occupied the room. I was surmising that few flights, if any, had arrived in the past few hours.

I led Maribel to the security check, where a large man with a fuzzy mustache was stretching, watching us aptly as we crossed the floor. "Hello," I said politely, and Maribel smiled at him with a white face. He grunted back, and motioned for us to place our carryons in the bin, which we did quickly.

Maribel looked at the large metal doorway with suspicion in her clear green eyes, but I gave her an encouraging look, and with a sigh she took my hand, stepping forward. She bit her lip, but sighed in a relieved way as nothing went wrong after she stepped out.

"Passports?" the guard spoke quietly, and I dug them out of my pocket, handing them to him quickly. He looked over them, eyeing each of us compared to our pictures before shrugging and motioning us forward.

"See, nothing bad," I breathed in her ear, and the security guard shot me a look of mistrust. As the bins with our bags and shoes shot through the other side, Maribel gave a small cry of relief, and tugged our things away joyously.

"I thought not get our… things until America we reach, Teddy?" she asked my clumsily, beaming as she remembered to add my 'name' on the end of her sentence. I suppressed a laugh at her, but looking back I saw the guard was showing more doubt in his eyes than before.

I pressed my hand softly against her back, motioning for her to walk more quickly, taking out our tickets. We were in Gate A2, right up ahead of us, and Maribel collapsed into a seat, looking scared by the looming space around her.

I knew that it must be overwhelming, having not been in a space so big before and suddenly being thrust in one, people filling it in more and more as the minutes ticked by, other flights had been scheduled and were taking off and she trembled against me as a huge group of what looked to be Russians strode past her, several giving her an evil eye at her whimpering.

"Fred- I mean, Teddy, why must there be so much people?" she whispered, and I rubbed her arm soothingly, the panicked look on her face making me feel guilty and uncomfortable. She swallowed when I shrugged apologetically.

"That is just how airports are, sweet," I cooed, and she sighed again closing her eyes and humming softly to herself, most likely to try and drown out the buzz of other people's voices.

I suppose I could relate to her, though… When I was young, so confinded in my house, my parents feared that someone would notice my rapid aging. We were never around very many people aside from pack gatherings, so the first time I went to an airport it was slightly intimidating.

As our plane number was being called, I glanced around and found there were very few others taking our flight, which didn't surprise or shock me. Most of them probably hadn't been able to get a flight to Seattle, and had had to resort to going to Port Angeles.

I checked our flight tickets one more time, making sure this was the correct flight, and stood. Maribel smiled at me shakily. "This is it," she whispered softly in my ear, and I nodded as we approached the gate.

A large woman took our tickets, checking them enthusiastically and we took them back, walking down the winding hall. Maribel gaped at me, clutching my arm tighter. Fear rolled off of her as she attempted to step as light as possible, scared that the tunnel we were walking on would collapse under her.

We found our seats quickly, near the front of the plane though it was small, all of the seats being coach. I was thankful that Jasper knew I would want to keep all of this low-key, nothing that would draw attention.

The sun was high in the sky now, shedding light on the full plane of people. Maribel's eyes were drooping though, and I pulled the shade of our window, wanting to let her sleep. She hadn't gotten much in the past weeks.

Eight and a half hours after taking off, I had stirred Maribel awake from her seemingly everlasting slumber with regret. It was so peaceful; watching her sleep… it had me half falling asleep at times, a comfort in the groans and moans of the plane and passengers.

She looked around, wide eyed, and then connected with me, her small hands finding mine immediately, just as the pilot came on overhead, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be landing soon. Please make sure your seatbelts are secure. Thank you for flying with us," he said smoothly, and Maribel beamed at me excitedly.

"So we are there, almost at… La Poosh?" she whispered, and I nodded back at her amusedly.

"La _Push_, sweet. And yes, we're almost there. A family friend, Claire, will be picking us up. Try not to call me anything, if you can help it. We don't want anybody getting suspicious. I did ask her to meet us outside though, so we shouldn't have any problems," I informed her softly in Spanish; I did not want her to misunderstand anything I said now.

"Okay," she said breathily, glancing out of the plane window. It was well past three o'clock when the plane landed bumpily on the runway, and Maribel dug her nails into my arm in fright.

When the flight attendant finally announced it was time to de-board the plane, everyone stood at once, rushing to get out of the confines they had been in for the past near nine hours, but Maribel and I waited patiently, the slowly moving group didn't seem to bother her at all, rather she was enthralled with the group of small people around her, and their reactions towards her presence.

It seemed she hated big crowds, but was okay with smaller groups of people. She gazed on them until they turned away from her purposefully, though she did not notice the reason of their actions. Finally, there were few people left and we stood; I took down our bags carefully, and handed Maribel one, as she insisted she should carry one.

We sped through bag check and security, once again making it through without a single double take at our passports. Once we got out of the line, I spotted Claire smiling at me from across the busy airport, and beamed as I pulled Maribel along, glad that one of the pack would finally get to meet my sweet.

"Claire! I have not seen you in so long!" I exclaimed, pulling her into a quick hug before letting her go. Her eyes briefly smiled at me before trailing to Mari with a questioning air. I blushed, and was suddenly thankful for my Quileute genes that had granted me dark skin to hide it.

"It's wonderful to see you too! I was wondering what prodded you to come back, but maybe it's because of…" she gestured to Maribel, and I supplied her with her name as we headed to Claire's car.

"Maribel, then. It's wonderful to meet you, Maribel," smiled Claire. Mari glanced up at her shyly before slowly extending one of her delicate arms.

"It is wonderful to meet you too," she beamed at me, glad to have got a sentence down.

"Your accent is beautiful," Claire commented as she started out of the airport, and Maribel blushed.

"Why does she think I smell nice?" she whispered to me in Spanish, low enough so Claire could not hear. I bit back a smile, brushing a piece of Mari's hair behind her ear.

"Accent means the way you talk Sweet," I murmured, and she nodded raptly before thanking Claire. The drive was filled with small talk, something I found awkward and did not particularly enjoy… but if we strayed off small talk, I knew Claire would question why I brought Maribel here, and I didn't want to get into that so soon.

She would be furious at me, I had heard Claire's fierce love of her own children and she would immediately leap to Maribel's own parents, probably turning the car around straight away. The idea made me shutter softly, and Maribel glanced at me questioningly. I gave her an apologetic look, shrugging to show it was nothing important and she relaxed, returning to the conversation with Claire she was having about Ecuador.

"Soli is holding the Wolf Girl brunch today, so we're all going to that. You can introduce Maribel to everyone," said Claire pointedly, and again I blushed. I didn't want to think of anyone's reaction to me kidnapping Maribel… Well, is it technically a kidnapping if she willingly came along? I hoped not.

"Also, all of your suitcases arrived at our place a few days ago, so you can get them tomorrow morning if you wish." Claire added, and Maribel looked curious, glancing up at me. I whispered what she had said in Spanish in Maribel's ear and she smiled gratefully at me.

"I am practice my English," she informed Claire, and she laughed, giving Maribel a small smile.

"You're doing wonderful already," she complimented, and Maribel giggled, thanking her. Maribel knew that her English was not exactly… the best.

My heart sped up a little when we entered La Push, nervousness settling into my stomach, excitement accompanying it. I had not seen Soli in over a year, and she was one of the dearest in my life, I had talked in length about my dear sister to Maribel, and she already liked her.

But she had no idea of the imprint, or of my sudden arrival. The first time I called announcing I was coming back was also the last, so she was given no details. I didn't want her to try and stop me either, because she was one of the most determined people I'd ever met.

We pulled up to the familiar apartment, that had been lived in by God knows how many wolves, and climbed out, stretching.

"Finally we are here at hometown of yours?" Maribel asked excitedly, and I nodded at her with a beam, making her grin as she sidled up to my side. Claire led the way in, us following closely behind.

She knocked on the door three times before Soli answered it with a shine in her eye I had never seen before. I took a moment to examine her, this new, bright girl I had never seen before.

She was beautiful, her high heels helped her as she held her head up high, beaming so happily it seemed there was a certain glow around her, and my heart filled for her; I felt so much gratitude toward Randy, my best friend, for making her so exultant and radiant.

Suddenly, her eyes travelled to where we stood, and Claire and Maribel politely stepped out of the way as she launched herself at me, and I twirled her around her arms tightly sealed around my neck.

"Que bonita, so beautiful," I sighed, pecking her on her cheek. Her smile grew wider as Randy came up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist so he was hugging her from the behind.

"Si, muy bonita," he grinned, and I concluded Soli had been teaching him Spanish, and was proud that he took such lengths to please my sister.

I spotted Maribel then, and pulled her forward, she smiled nervously at me and I gestured to my sister, "Maribel, this is my sister Soledad."

Maribel voiced a small hello, to which Soli raised her eyebrows at me. I smiled softly as Mari rested in my arm, and I pulled her closer to my chest.

I took a deep breath before speaking: this would be my first time saying that Maribel was my imprint to someone's actual face, letting them meet her. My parents were the only others who knew about her, and of course they had not told anybody.

"Oh my God! Freddie, why didn't you call me," Soli howled as she pulled me into an overjoyed hug. Randy came shaking both mine and Maribel's hand with a nod of his head.

"Can we talk about it later?" I whispered to her in Spanish, not wanting to announce how Maribel got to La Push with me in front of the entire pack…

She nodded, and then parted to Randy so other wolf girls in attendance could greet me Mari, I smiled and nodded at each one of them as they congratulated me.

I heard laughs from across the room and turned to see Randy and Soli, their hands poised in sign language. Once they saw me looking however, they stopped their laughter and departed from one another, and I got a feeling they had been talking about Maribel. It made me uncomfortable, and I was about to pull away when little Eli came running up to us with a huge smile.

Maribel knelt to his height, eyeing him with a smile as she spoke a soft hello. Just as fast, he darted away leaving Maribel surprised, and I rolled my eyes at her, helping her up.

"Did I do something?" she asked in Spanish and I shook my head, laughing.

"No, no, Eli just has a lot of energy," I informed but she still looked worried. She turned to Mark, who was now holding Eli, just as he spoke,

"Well, we got a straight one." He was laughing, and Jordan slithered to his side.

"Yeah, definitely straight," Jordan agreed, giving Mark a kiss. Maribel looked shocked by this, though not bothered which comforted me. Her parents had probably never talked about gay relationships with her before, so I wasn't surprised.

When Annie and Brady came, I presented Maribel to both of them with a beam. I was glad I could finally get over Annabelle, she was beautiful as ever but nothing compared to my Maribel, who shone beyond even Soledad's happiness.

Brady was overly enthusiastic about my imprint, which had me slightly amused, though when he asked how old Maribel was, my defenses immediately shot up.

"I'm fifteen," said Maribel loudly, so everyone could hear.

"Oh yeah, that's cool," Brady said, but I could tell it certainly wasn't. He looked sort of shocked by this, and my grip on Maribel's waist tightened slightly.

"We have run here," Maribel spoke, and I knew then that my chances of hiding this for another second were crashed. I flashed her a reassuringly glance when it registered she might have said something she ought not to have.

"What?" Soli growled, Randy's arm around keeping her restrained from bounding to me. I winced slightly but spoke simply.

"Well… since you'll all find out soon anyways…we've come here without the permission of her family." There were loud gasps from around the room and Mari shrunk back into me.

"You kidnapped her?" Claire asked awkwardly, probably horrified at herself for being the one to bring us here.

I measured my answer carefully before sighing, "Technically…yes." The room grew absolutely silent before Mark let out a loud laugh.

"It's not funny!" Soledad howled angrily, her little hands thrust into tight fists.

"It sorta is," Kim said, peering interestingly at Maribel.

"Can we talk about this tonight?" I begged her lovingly, pulling her into a pleading hug. She sighed but nodded, for which I was grateful.

"She can stay in your other guest room right?" I whispered to her once we pulled, knowing that she would probably say yes, I would be willing to sleep on the couch, though, if she declined.

"Not with you?" she whispered back, and I shook my head uncomfortably. My Maribel would probably not mind sleeping in the same room as me, but she didn't know what that meant out here, in my town.

"We're not in that stage in our relationship," was the best answer I could think of, and she sighed.

"Well at least that's something."

I turned back to Mari and she smiled at me supportively as we continued the party. I kept one eye trained on her, the other on Soli. They both were extremely happy, as was I; they were both beautiful. Maribel was getting along well with my family, and the evening could not have been getting along better.


	11. A Lesson In Makeup

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does.

And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie and Maribel, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.

I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!

This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five.

I'm not going to bore you all with a bunch of excuses as to why I haven't updated sooner, let's just say I've had a lot to deal with in the past couple of months.

I want to double-thank my beta, yay4shanghai, for putting up with my crapiness and not getting mad at me for not updating so often. You're absolutely fabulous Jay!

* * *

Chapter Eleven - A Lesson In Make-up

* * *

August 19th 2038

Maribel POV

I felt my stiff muscles slowly relaxing, my mouth was parched; my hands were numb because I had accidentally fallen asleep on them. I heard the sound of people moving outside the door, and wondered idly if Ms. Rose was coming to wake me up.

Odd, she almost never came so early… I sat bolt upright, my back cricking as I did, and stared around me in awe. The room was quite small, a double bed crammed into one corner, a dresser and a closet on the other wall, with a small nightstand next to the bed. It had a single window which was shut tight; I heard rain splashing against the closed pane.

I swallowed convulsively and shivered, wrapping my long arms around my chest in the cold. My mind ran through everything that had happened the previous days, shock running through my veins like an electric jolt.

Had I really done all these things? Was I really in the United States, so far away from my parents' wary eyes? I gingerly stood, and then yelped as my bare feet made contact with the frozen floor. There was a pause in the muffled voices some ways away, and they promptly continued.

I swallowed, knowing then that I certainly wasn't with my parents. My mother or one of my guards would have come running immediately, concerned alertness imminent on their expressions… But no one came.

My trembling hands pushed me off the bed and I stopped to inspect myself in the mirror, shaking my head. My hair looked hassled and my purple silk pajamas were ruffled. My mother told me to never meet anybody without looking presentable.

I looked into the mirror for a moment, reminiscing about her and this rule which she repeated so many times, before shaking my head again and dropping to the floor. I pulled one of my two suitcases forward and started shifting through the different outfits, finally settling on a black skirt and a purple tank top.

I ran a hand through my hair enough times to smooth it down as much as it would any other day before leaving the bedroom, and heading towards the kitchen. My stomach twisted in nerves as I rounded the corner, peering anxiously into the room and smiling excitedly as I saw Freddie and his sister Soledad sitting at the table, talking in English.

"Freddie!" I called, and he turned to me at once with a grin, pulling me into his embrace for a hug. He let go of me all too soon, and my body longed for the almost stifling heat emitting from him. It had grown to be a great comfort, especially in the hard nights leading to our escape, in which I was bombarded with worries and doubt.

"Good morning, Maribel." Soledad nodded at me and I flushed, nodding back at her.

"Good morning," I responded eagerly, determined not to mispronounce a word today. Even if I had to ask Freddie how to say anything, which was slightly humiliating as he is so smart.

"So, are you doing okay this morning?" Soli asked me in soft Spanish, and I nodded warmly at her.

"Yes, my room is nice. But it is raining so hard… is it often like that?" I frowned, and she laughed, shaking her head with a small smirk.

"Yes, beautiful, it's always like that. La Push has very wet weather, and that is not going to change, unfortunately," she snorted, and I sighed. I already missed the feeling of the hot sun against the back of my neck, heat pressing down on my body.

The rain shook on, making the house quake and me jump in shock every time even a little bit of thunder cracked across the sky.

As the gray morning rang on, I brought out my make-up bag, settling on the floor in the… living room I think they called it, and uncapping my yellow nail polish. I needed some color desperately, this mundane atmosphere was so unfamiliar already; all I had known was sun. Nothing less, nothing more.

As I began, I felt Soledad's eyes on my back, and finally she stood from where she was cuddling on the couch with Randy, and kneeled next to me. I couldn't stop myself from marveling at how she kept perfect balance in her heels, which must have been five inches… I had a feeling she had worn higher.

"What are you doing?" she asked me curiously in Spanish, and I glanced up shyly at her. My bag was open, showing many, many bottles of the polish, almost spilling from the seams.

"Just, um, painting my toes," I mumbled, blushing. No one knew of my secret love. She was still squinting at me, and I felt rather intimidated. She was profusely beautiful, more than anyone I had ever seen in my life. Every part of her seemed to burst with excitement and attention.

"Come on!" she suddenly smiled and pulled me up by my arm. I gave a jolt of surprise when she gathered my bag and stowed it under her arm, motioning for me to follow her. I glanced back at Freddie, who was sitting in a chair opposite Randy, a speculating but encouraging look on his face as he nodded for me to go forward.

Hesitantly, I followed her down the hall into the bathroom, where she seized my arms and pushed me onto the toilet seat. She started digging around in the cupboard under the sink until coming out again with a much larger bag then mine, and even more bulging.

I stared at her, wondering what she was doing. "What-" I started, but she waved me down with a roll of her eyes.

"It seems you are interested in make-up, so I thought maybe I'd give you a lesson!" she told me slowly, and it was a good thing because I had some difficulty making out some of her words.

"Lesson?" I questioned, wondering what she meant. She sighed, glancing at me before grabbing a bottle of something… I could make out the word "Mascara', though I'd never heard it anywhere.

"Soledad, what is mash-car-ah?" I asked her, and she sniggered while uncapping it.

"You put it on your eyelashes, it makes them darker and longer," she explained in Spanish now, kneeling gracefully in front of me.

"I'm going to go light with you. You don't really need much make-up, anyway, and apparently you've never done it. Okay, I am going to need you to look up; concentrate on the ceiling and whatever you do try not and blink." Soledad said everything in rapid Spanish; I was slightly impressed by this but expected it in a way because Freddie told me that was their mother's first and main language.

"It is important to put mascara on first when starting out, because it makes your eyes water sometimes, which would mean you would have to wipe it off, along with whatever other stuff you put on. Mija, eyes looking up!" Soledad reminded me quickly as my gaze drifted down. Water was threatening to pour over my lids, but I bit my lip, keeping them at bay until Soledad stepped back with a smirk.

"There we are; you look beautiful!" she beamed, and I blushed, hardly believing someone like her could think of me as beautiful. I stood shakily, moving to stand in front of the mirror over the slightly browning sink, but Soledad let out a cry and pushed me back down firmly.

"No, not until we finish!" she demanded with narrowed and concentrated eyes, and I shifted uncomfortably. It already felt like a bunch of gunk was slapped onto my eyes; did she really have to add more?

"Soledad? Are ju to put more of much on?" I asked her anxiously, deciding I might as well please Freddie and start practicing my English. She laughed lightly, as she dropped the mash-car-ah in her bag and dug around a little more until she came up again with two flat containers.

"No, just some blush and eye shadow. Like I said, you don't need much make-up, lucky." Soledad muttered, ignoring my embarrassing attempt at speaking English perfectly.

"What is that?" I questioned, and she started brushing my cheek softly with this red powder.

"Blush," she explained, "Makes you appear to be blushing. Eye shadow is just another thing to make your eyes pop." Her Spanish words were carefree and absentminded, and I marveled at her yet again. She seemed so free and independent; I had never met a woman like her before. Though, I could do without the blush… I did enough of that already.

As she finished applying the blush, she moved onto eye shadow quickly; I was relieved to find this didn't involve any eye watering at all. Finally, she pulled me up the shoulders, and twirled me around so I was facing the mirror.

I gasped slightly as I looked at my reflection. She was right; my eyes did look more defined, and my cheeks were bright. I beamed at her and voiced my thanks. She shrugged it off; telling me it was no big deal.

Soledad grabbed my wrist lightly, tugging me softly down the hall and pulling me straight into the living room where Freddie and Randy were situated. She pushed me forward, gesturing to me proudly and saying something I couldn't make out in English.

Freddie smiled at me, and stood to get a better view of me and as he did my eyes travelled up to make a connection to his beautiful brown ones, and my navel tried to pull me closer to him. I had never really appreciated now deep his beautiful eyes were, or how his arms were heavily muscled, or how ruggedly sculpted his face was.

I blushed immediately at these thoughts, bowing my head so my hair fell like a curtain to hide my face. Freddie walked forward, and I stared at his feet for a moment. He did not touch me, did not try and pry my chin up, just stood there and waited. Finally, I knew I could no longer put off looking at him.

"Mari, you look… fantastic," he supplied. I could see that hint of a smile in his eyes as he spoke, though his lips remained a line.

"Thanks." I whispered softly, turning redder than ever. My stomach was turning in unusual circles. I had never felt this way before!

"So how did you and my brother meet? He never really explained…" Soledad suddenly interrupted the heavy atmosphere. I broke out of my trance, looking around in shock. I had nearly forgotten that Randy and Soli were here. I crinkled my eyebrows, searching back… Hadn't I seen him at a restaurant? Ah, yes, that must have been it.

"Well, I saw him about a month ago at a very popular restaurant, though it was only a glance. Two weeks later he climbed through-" Freddie cleared his throat, glaring slightly at his sister as he interrupted me. I was a bit shocked by this: Mother always told me it was a terrible thing to interrupt someone.

"Ah, Mari, why don't you go wait in the kitchen? I need to speak to my sister, okay?" I glanced at the both of them in confusion, but made my way towards where I knew the kitchen was. My mother always told me to listen and be polite to anyone above me, and I knew that this was Soledad and Freddie's home...

I heard them speaking rapid English behind me, though they were talking in low voices and I only understood some, tiny words that were probably used in almost every sentence. I wondered fleetingly what they were talking about, but pushed the thoughts out of my mind.

Freddie slid next to me a moment later, smiling brilliantly so my heart stuttered a little. I blushed at this, what had changed? What was I now was such a bumbling fool? "How do you like the place?" he questioned me, and I shrugged wrapping my arms around his arm. I could feel the heat pouring from every inch of skin, and cuddled closer, craving the pleasant sensation it created.

"It's nice," I said, and I wasn't lying. It might have been small and dingy compared to my house for some, but I felt like it was warm and cozy, there wasn't so much space you had to buy unnecessary stuff just to fill it, it was perfect.

"That is good because I think we will be staying here for a while. I was thinking… I mean, I know you just arrived last night and are probably a little overwhelmed, but I still think you getting an education is very important," he said firmly, though speaking Spanish because he knew I did not know some of the words in English. I looked at him curiously.

"What do ju mean?" I asked him, slightly confused. Was he going to be my tutor? Soledad did not seem the type… maybe he was going to hire one? But surely he did not want to rise suspicion by doing so?

"I mean that I think… you should enroll in school. People might wonder why a young girl is not going, and since I never got to go, I'd really like you to." He said, though there was nothing in his voice suggesting pressure or stress, merely a polite hope.

But as I contemplated the idea, my stomach turned over nervously, and not in the good way it had been doing previously. I had never really interacted with other people my age. I hardly knew what a school was! I had read about it and learned what they did, but some of the stories in books did not leave a very good impression.

"I… don't know." I said finally. "What is school like?" I added, and he winced slightly.

"Sorry, Mari, I'm not quite sure. Neither me, or Soledad went, remember?" He spoke apologetically, but I ignored this with a hidden sigh, hugging him quickly. The sudden closeness made me want to hold on forever, but I pulled back just as quickly as I pulled in.

"Su-sure. I…guess I could try it." I said, if a bit hesitantly. He beamed, patting me gently on the back. I wanted to try for him, he gave up so much for me.

"Thanks, Mari! The new year won't start for about two weeks, so that will hopefully give you enough time to get used to La Push," he smiled, and I shot a quivery grin back.

What had I gotten myself into? Did I want to go to school; was this even a good idea when so many things could go wrong? I shook my head, trying to push all doubt from my mind.

But as I ignored those pressing thoughts, new ones entered. Confusion erupted through me as I tried to figure out how I had felt about Freddie for those fleeting moments. It was definite affection, but it was a kind of affection I'd never felt before, unlike anything I felt for my mama or papa. The feeling he gave me when we hugged, the way I wanted to feel more of him though I wasn't sure how or even why. How would I cope with that? I knew nothing of that sort of thing…


	12. Questions and No Answers

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does.

And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie and Maribel, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.

I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!

This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five.

Well, this time the update was quicker! Another thanks to everyone who reviewed, and also yay4shanghai for beta'ing this!

Hope everyone enjoys!

* * *

Chapter Twelve - Questions and No Answers

* * *

October 28th 2038

I furrowed my brow and bit my tongue lightly between my two teeth, trying to concentrate on this last bit of homework. It was harder with Freddie sitting just across from me, of course. He was distractingly playing with a pencil, bouncing it up and down, making a muffle tapping sound as he watched me.

His hand was sculpted around it, strong and graceful. I couldn't keep from flitting my eyes from his hands, to his eyes, and then back to my homework when he'd raise an eyebrow at me in question. Finally, I scribbled out my final mistake-riddle sentence and pushed away from the table to stretch.

"Done?" he asked smoothly, calculating. I blushed and nodded. He took the paper and swept it to his side of the table, his eyes scanning through every word with care.

"Good job, this is your best work yet, Mari!" he praised, the hint of a smile gracing his face. I wished he would smile more often; it made him look so much more… handsome.

"Thank you, Freddie. I called Soli with a few questions before you got here, though, so I still didn't do all of it on my own," I admitted with a sad little sigh. Freddie had encouraged me to try and get through a paper without any help, just to see where I was at, but I couldn't help but call Soledad in Canada from where she and Randy were going to college.

He pursed his lips a little, and then shrugged. "You did your best, that's the most important part. You'll be able to do this by yourself one day anyway," he assured me, placing his hand on my arm and then pulling me close. I tried to calm my heart as I sunk into his warm embrace, but it would not listen. It beat at double the rate like a jackhammer.

He was so hot, but it felt so right. It wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest. I wanted him to keep on holding me, but he pulled away before I could hold him in place. He shifted almost uneasily and took a step away from me, which I pretended not to notice.

"It's about time I should head out for patrol," he sighed, glancing towards the door. I grimaced.

"Again? You had to go out this morning, too!" I complained. He smiled a little wider now, which made my heart triple its efforts to pound out of my chest.

"It's not really patrolling per se, Mari, it's more than I need to get used to being an alpha," he explained, though it didn't give me much solace. He paused on his way out of the apartment and turned back, "You will be okay alone here, for just a little bit, won't you? You could go and hang out with Annie if you want."

I nodded my head at once, "I will be fine, Freddie. No worry about me," I warned, shaking my finger at him. I did not want him to be concentrating on me so much when he was doing something so important for his pack.

I couldn't help but feel a little prideful as I watched him leave, knowing that he was the leader of everyone else, that he was so important. I sighed, draping my figure across the couch.

Sometimes I didn't like wasting my time with him doing schoolwork, though I understood it was necessary. It's not like I didn't spend the majority of my time with him on most days, but I liked to get in every second I could.

I drifted to the bedroom that had become my own and snuggled into the covers, pulling them tight around my shoulders and biting my lip. It was a fourth the size of my former room, but I loved it so much more. I wasn't a prisoner here.

I hesitantly picked up the phone Freddie bought for me, running a finger over the smooth pink cover. I didn't know how to put much use to it, I only ever called a few people, but Freddie had insisted on it in just in case of an emergency.

I flipped it open and scrolled through the numbers until I found the one I was looking for. I pressed Talk and it automatically dialed, something that I found quite nice. It rang only once before Soledad answered.

"Maribel, I know that you need help with your homework, but I honestly think that I am not the one you should ask. Freddie would much rather help," she sighed. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling.

"It's not about that, Soli… I need to ask you a, um, question," I said, my voice sounded suddenly nervous. But I was more confused. I had no idea what was going on, what my newfound emotions for Freddie meant. It was exhausting to try and keep up with my thoughts and try to understand what they meant.

"Oh," she paused, "what's up then?" I took a deep intake of breath, twirling the soft fabric of my pillow between my fingers.

"Well, I wanted to understand, uhm, how it is that imprints work?" I stammered, trying to think of the correct words to ask. She was silent for a long time, and then she burst out laughing.

My cheeks turned redder and redder the longer and harder she laughed. "What is so funny?" I snapped, embarrassed. She abruptly stopped, but I heard vague chuckling from the other end of the line.

"Oh, Mari. You have no… idea. I wish somebody knew how imprinting works. Everyone does, believe me. But it's a total mystery. Why are you asking me this?" I didn't answer, because I honestly had no idea myself. I heard her gasp, as if something had clicked.

"Ooh, Encanto, don't tell me you're craving to… be with my brother?" she laughed in Spanish, talking a mile a minute in excitement. What did she mean, 'be with'?

"I do not know what you are talking about, Soli," I told her, biting my lip. It was frustrating sometimes, realizing that I knew little of the world. But it was also very embarrassing that Freddie's family talked about such things so openly! I didn't mind so, so much anymore, but it was rather uncomfortable.

"Ah, come on, Mari! 'Be with' means, like, kissing and holding hands, or at least for you," she gave a short laugh, "It means you want to be closer to the person," she spoke softer now. I paused, furrowing my brow more.

"Alright, I understand that part. But I… don't knowing how to, um, act, on these emotions. What should I say to him?" I asked nervously. She sighed loudly.

"Look, Mari, I am really happy that you care a lot about my brother. Actually I'm fucking thrilled about it but, since he's my baby brother, I am going to draw the line on figuring out how you're gonna, err, be with him."

I didn't have any siblings, but I was still understanding of the fact. I told her so and she said she had to go, saying something about distractions. I stood from my bed and paced around the room after dropping my phone on my bedside table.

I was going to have to figure out some way to tell Freddie on my own. I could hardly go any longer; it was like new instincts were taking over me. I battled a deep sigh that was threatening to escape, swallowing it down and stowing it away.

It was an only an hour later when Freddie came home, swinging me up in his arms and giving me a hug. We prepared our dinner as usual, and it was only when we sat down to eating that I became nervous about telling him but now was as good a time as any.

I stirred my extra-super spice induced fajitas around my plate with a fork, avoiding his penetrating gaze. His milk brown eyes were as serious and unwavering as ever, focused on one thing. Unfortunately at this moment, that thing seemed to be me.

"Maribel, what is wrong?" he asked finally, concern ringing his voice. I bit my lip, opened my mouth, and then closed it. The sigh I swallowed back before suddenly flew out of me.

"Oops," I mumbled, and then sighed again, "I am just confused, Freddie. I don't understand," I groaned, my head starting to throb.

"Understand what?" he asked, probably thinking it was some American custom I was talking about or something.

"I called Soledad earlier, because I was confused…" I glanced up at Freddie, who looked just as bewildered.

"Maribel, what's wrong?" he asked, now concerned. I thought about that. Was anything _wrong_?

"Nothing," I breathed, "Nothing is wrong. I just am not knowing what to do. You see, I am… thinking strange, strange thoughts," my voice was barely above a whisper as I finished. My cheeks burned with embarrassment and my heart thudded with disbelief that I was actually speaking to him about this.

But I had to know if he felt the same way. I had to. He was silent, and I didn't dare look up to see his face. I bit my lip the longer the quiet went on. Tears started to sting my eyes, but before they could squeeze out, Freddie's arms were around my waist, pulling me onto his lap and hugging me tight to his chest.

"Don't get upset, Mari. It's fine, it's fine," he assured, rubbing my back. I choked back the tears, rubbing my eyes to remove all trace of them. I hiccupped once and was then calm. Freddie turned to face me, still stroking my hair gently.

"I just... just don't know what to do. Do you think of me, in any way?" I breathed shallowly. He was silent, but only for a moment.

"Maribel…" he seemed at a loss for words, something I had never dreamed possible. I met his eyes and gazed into them, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

"Maribel," he started again, "I don't know if you, if you realize what you're feeling. I don't think that… I mean, it couldn't possibly be…" he shook his head, closing his eyes. He pressed two fingers to each of his temples and rubbing hard.

"Freddie, are you alright?" I asked timidly, brushing my fingers across his arm. He shivered at my touch and then slid me off his lap, slowly returning to his own seat. I watched him closely the whole time, searching desperately for some sort of sign, though of what I wasn't sure.

"You're only fifteen, Maribel. I think you're just going through some new things, you admitted it yourself…you're confused. It's as simple as that."

He flashed me one of his rare smiles, and started eating again. I looked at my own food, more puzzled than ever. Freddie was so smart, he was almost always right. So why did I have an odd feeling about his words?

My stomach tumbled and somersaulted uneasily. I stole a glance up at him and saw he was still focused on his food, swirling it around on his fork absentmindedly. I looked at my fajita again and shoved a piece of it down my throat, swallowing despite myself.

I hardly tasted it.


	13. Giving In

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does.

And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie and Maribel, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by betaing it.

I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!

This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five.

Hey everybody! Alright, so this story got cut way down, but I wanted to let you know that the next chapter is indeed the epilogue! :(

I already have it written, so I plan on posting it soon... Reviews basically get it, and they would be very much appreciated! Also, I wanted to just get a head-on on warning everyone that there will be a lemon next chapter!

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Thirteen - Giving In

* * *

December 13th 2038

My fingernails dug into the frozen soil and dead blades of grass, tearing into the rough terrain as I took a deep, sweltering breath. Words reverberated in my brain like a boomerang, twisting and swirling like snakes writhing in the heat.

The air I breathed was cold and sharp, and other than the single patch I was resting in, snow surrounded me. My coat was tight around my lean figure, but I was still shivering and wishing desperately for warmth on my neck, the brazen sun bearing down on me like it would at home.

I was being ridiculous, coming out here in the middle of the night, but I wanted to hold onto that last bit of summer before winter took over completely, obscuring all of the beautiful grass and trees.

Christmas lights dotted the houses around Freddie's and I couldn't stop the little feeling of excitement in me when I thought about sharing such a holiday with him. It had been very important in my family, and as the date approached I missed my parents more and more.

My mother had always made December the best month of my life, and my father even participated. It was saddening knowing that I may never get to experience that with them again. I didn't dwell on it, though, because I didn't know what would happen to me if I did.

I wiped a stray piece of hair out of my face and leaned forward, letting my head fall back and stare at the gray sky.

My lips puckered slightly, and I wrinkled my nose. I longed to see blue…just a teeny bit of it, even, because that would be something.

I wondered why I had ever left Ecuador, why I had abandoned my probably distraught mother, who was now all alone, or my father who was probably crazed as he searched for me, now that I had been missing for so many months.

"Mari? What are you doing out here in the cold?" Freddie's deep, concerned voice broke my thoughts and I turned to him, the smile lighting my face natural. Shrugging, I stood, gingerly brushing my pants off. I stepped onto the powdery snow and made my way to his warm embrace.

"Just thinking," I whispered back, letting him fold me into his side so every inch of my body was wrapped in his heat. I sighed contentedly, and reminded myself that _this_ was why I had left, because this was worth it.

"Well, come in now that I'm home," he said, a very mild smile gracing his face. I let out a contented sigh as he led me to the house in the crook of his arm, burrowing myself deep into Freddie's warmth. I did wish that he'd grin just a little more, though… He was serious, and I did like that about him, but he seemed so much more…gentle when he was smiling.

Once we stepped into the house, I turned to him and stood on my toes, leaning just a little in so our faces were close together, but Freddie maneuvered around me before I could get any closer.

I frowned as I dwindled behind him, playing with the hem of my shirt and dropping my coat to the floor. The alabaster carpet was flecked with spots of dirt, and my coat only added to the mess, which I only felt slightly guilty about, because lately Freddie had not been acting as usual and it was worrying me.

We used to always be cuddling or holding hands, but now he only sometimes touched me, and only for brief moments. I had tried to talk to him, to get closer, but he pulled away and I just wasn't sure how to go about calling him back.

I was still unbelievably confused about our…relationship. One second, he seemed to be considering the same things I wanted, the next he was pushing me away even more so than before.

My goal had been to talk to him about everything before the New Year, but now, with only eighteen days to go, I was feeling some pressure. Soli had told me that some imprinted wolves had a hard time adjusting or giving in, but Freddie and I were already living together, what more could he have to adjust to?

Maybe the whole 'giving in' thing was what was bothering him, although I'm not quite sure about what all of that means.

I twirled a piece of my long, curly hair around my finger absently watching him as he sunk into the couch and closed his eyes to rest. I smiled a little and lifted his feet up, sitting where they were and placing them in my lap. I merely rubbed circles on them: I had learned long ago that my fingers were much too weak to give any type of effective massage to Freddie's tough skin.

He moaned a little, curling his toes. "That feels good, Mari," he murmured in thanks. We sat in silence for a moment, letting the quietness sink in and reverberate through the room.

"Ju know, when Soli gets home, we are not probably going to have quiet as much," I noted, giggling. Freddie's eyes sparkled with humor as he opened them to look at me.

"Yeah, you're right about that," he agreed, but he was teasing. We were both excited for Soledad to come back. She was exactly like a sister to me, and I really enjoyed it. I had never had someone like her to confide in, or anything of the sort, but she was always willing to lend a few words, even if they were, at times, a bit…choice.

"Celebrating with her will be fun. She has been telling me about traditions," I said, and then blushed as I recalled the one about the mistletoe. Of course I knew what mistletoe was, but my parents had restrained from kissing or touching in front of me, so I knew little of that type of custom.

Freddie raised an eyebrow, gesturing for me to continue. He always got _so_ interested when I started blushing.

"Well, I mean, I was just… uh, interested in some of them," I grimaced. I didn't want to talk about this with him… it was almost too embarrassing. He sat up, swinging his feet to the floor and pulling me to his side, suddenly not bothering to put any barriers between the two of us.

"You can tell me anything, if you want to, Mari," he said quietly, calculating my expression in a concerned way. I sighed, tucking my head into his chest and breathing his scent deeply: dew and cucumber.

He had told me that my scent was lime and lemon, and I realized that all four melded perfectly together… or at least in my opinion.

"I do know, of course Freddie. But really, it is a not big deal. Ju just relax," I coaxed, smiling kindly. Freddie paused, and then shrugged it off.

I licked my lips and scooted a little closer, my tongue suddenly sticking to the roof of my mouth. "Ju know, I want to do speaking of something else," I said slowly, raising my eyes to meet his chocolate brown ones.

He stared at me in confusion for a just a moment before freezing up. Quickly, he dropped his arm from around my shoulders and scooted toward the other end of the couch. I tried to shove away the sting of that, and turned to face him.

"Please, listen, Freddie," I pleaded. He sighed, paused again, and then nodded hesitantly.

"Freddie, something has been wrong, very much. You will not hold me like you sometimes used to, like you are afraid of having me close," I began, and I couldn't keep the sadness from leaking into my sentence. Freddie's breath caught and he reached forward to run his hand through my hair, but did not interrupt.

"I am thinking it is… because you may be feeling what I am," I stopped, biting my lip. Freddie was closing his eyes very tightly and his mouth was a thin line, but he still seemed to be listening.

"I mean with that is that I…like you, much more than I did when we first met," I mumbled clumsily. Red, hot shame was creeping onto my cheeks and I tried to ignore it. But the embarrassment was too much, after years and years of not being allowed to speak of any of this, for it had been considered something much too private.

I hid my face in my hands, disbelieving I had willed myself to speak so much of this when clearly Freddie did not want to. It was a few moments before Freddie carefully pried my hands away from my face and tilted my chin up to look at him.

"Mari, it's alright. Don't feel embarrassed; you are right. Things have been…changing," he paused, shifting his weight uncomfortably. I blinked in surprise, but leaned forward to show I wanted to hear more.

"I don't want you to feel…anxious or odd or like you have to do something, Mari," he explained, sighing. I frowned at him, crossing my arms.

"Freddie, I don't want you to feel that way either, but if neither of us do, then why do we have to hold back? I mean, if you don't want to, then I won't press anything anymore, but-" Freddie held up hand to stop my worried mumbling, and I smiled gratefully.

"Maribel… you have no idea. You're very beautiful, you know? But you're so young. You're only fifteen. Fifteen!" He shook his head again and I scowled.

"Well, how old are you?" Freddie seemed taken aback by the question, and then he frowned as I did.

"My age is irrelevant, Maribel," he growled. I glared slightly.

"Then why is _my_ age important?"

"Because you can _age_; you can get older. I, however, am fully grown," he pointed out. My stern gaze tightened.

"Yes, I do know that your age is frozen. Please do not tell me again. But, I really need to be closer to you…I want to be," I said quietly, almost pleadingly. Freddie looked away for a moment, and then met my eyes again. Slowly, he brushed my hair behind my ears.

"I know, I know that… I'll…try, Mari, for you. For me as well; I really do need this as much as you… or at least I think I do. You're becoming harder and harder to resist. But we have to take this slow… You are still only fifteen and I don't want to rush things. You still have time to figure things out for yourself, to learn and grow and become independent," he sighed, his face growing lined. I scooted forward cautiously until my legs were against his thigh, and then extended my arms as best I could around his shoulders.

"You will not be stopping me from anything, Fredrico. Actually, you would be helping me through everything. I would not be able to get through this without you. Really, Freddie, don't be worried. Please," I begged, now worried myself that I had guilt tripped him into this. I swallowed as his head whipped up and he rested his forehead against mine.

"I know…I just think about things too much," he gave me a wobbly grin. I giggled, because yes, he did think about things _much_ too much.

His heat was like a blanket wrapping around us, pulling us together and refusing to loosen. I snuggled as deep into his side as I could; our noses were now pressed together. Our eyes never lost contact, and I as breathed in dew and cucumber I was drawn to him more than ever before.

I leaned in very slowly, giving Freddie time to back out if this is what he clarified 'moving too fast'… it probably was, but he didn't move away: he moved in.

Our lips met, and joy tingled down every inch of my body as his hand very, very gently reached up and stroked my hair. It was like nothing I had ever felt…it was strange and new, but in a total good way. I loved it, so much.

All too soon, it was over. It had lasted mere seconds, but the feeling stayed with me. A wide grin broke over my face as he pulled me onto his lap, still stroking my hair.

I giggled a little when I realized that I didn't even need stupid mistletoe.


	14. Epilogue: Molten Lava

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight universe, Stephenie Meyer does.

And pretty much all other characters, including Freddie and Maribel, belong to the universe created by the talented yay4shanghai! She is amazing, and you'll have to read her stories to understand this. I want to thank her for allowing me to write this, and also helping by beta'ing it.

I also recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, Dll10, and intiMACYx33. They're great, and worth reading!

This story takes place during 100 Years of Solitude... Okay, Maybe Just Five.

Wow. It feels incredibly weird saying this story is at it's end, but this is the epilogue, the final chapter.

I want to thank so many people... I will put the final list at the end, but I want to mention yay4shanghai right away, who made this story so much better and without her this story wouldn't have been possible. She created a universe that so many people were enthralled by and pulled into, and I'm so proud to say I was a part of it!

I had a real joy writing this, and I hope everyone loved reading it! It's been a wonderful seven months!

For the last time, enjoy!

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The Epilogue - Molten Lava

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May 23rd 2040

My time in La Push seemed to all blur together after Freddie and I finally had our talk, a mix of getting closer to the imprints and adjusting to reservation life. I went to school and got better at English with the help of Freddie and Annabelle.

Annie and I sparked a friendship one day, when Freddie had been busy with pack drama and I was bored out of my mind. I had previously been frightened at the idea of leaving home too much, as I had never strayed far on my own at all. Besides the nights Freddie and I would go on dates, I didn't explore or do much else but take care of the apartment.

But Freddie had been pleading me to step out and make friends with someone. He said he didn't want to keep me locked up or give anyone the impression he was keeping me inside like a prisoner. I knew he definitely wasn't, but he believed that I was isolating myself too much. I, on the other hand, believed I was isolating myself just the right amount. I was uncomfortable being with too many other people since I was so not used to it.

There were few other choices my age besides Annabelle, except for maybe Melody or Maddox, but Melody was 'busy' with Taylor and Maddox… well, she came with much too drama and many people I was close to didn't like her.

I preferred to not know what Mel and Taylor were doing, and in fact shied away whenever people mentioned it with smirks on their faces. So that left Annie.

I knew she couldn't have been bad because Randy was her best friend, and Freddie was too, I think… although whenever I asked him of his friendship with Annie he'd change the subject quickly. I was not an idiot, I knew that maybe he had pined for her, but I ignored those thoughts, because I also knew that she adored her Brady and Freddie liked me very, very much.

So I visited Annie and I found she was very sweet, as kind as I imagined, and immediately I befriended her. We spent most of our free time together, or at least free time not consumed by our wolves.

Freddie and I had not moved past kissing. It was very frustrating sometimes that, after a year and a half, he was not willing. I suppose it was just as much my fault as his, as I was extremely nervous to move forward…

I had only experienced a single, very short 'talk' with Soli, once, and it went something like this:

Soledad: Maribel, I am worried about you.

Me: Why?

Soledad: Because you are so fucking innocent that you have no idea how to handle anything.

Me: What?

Soledad: Ugh.

Me: What are you getting at?

Soledad: Just… ask Annie if you have questions about Freddie. I cannot do this.

Me: Questions about what?

And Soli hung up the phone. I knew exactly what she was talking about, because after I kissed Freddie for the first time, she hated giving me advice about him. I guessed she was battling with her instincts to protect me from getting… hurt or something, and her deep revulsion of speaking about her brother in 'that' way.

But I had not spoken to Annie yet. It would have been mortifying, at the least… I mean, even my own mother had not spoken to me of such things.

I hoped that she would have eventually, but it was difficult to say. I still ran away from thoughts of my mother and father, for fear of feeling pain over the missed years of my childhood with them. But, I could not keep it at bay. It was like a dull ache, but it was still there, and I could always feel them, feel the way they missed me and that they were still searching, even after nearly three years.

I wish that they would give up, but after meeting Leticia and seeing the way she loved my Freddie, I realized that they would not. I didn't realize that a mother could love her children as much as Leticia, but she did. My mother may have not loved me as much as she adored Freddie, but I was still her only daughter, one of the only companions in the lonely life my father provided, and I was always struck with guilt when I thought about her especially.

Freddie always found little ways to remind me that it was worth it, staying with him. He even found me a job, although I wasn't particularly fond of it. Annie had given me an apologetic look when I first told her I was working at Mr. Johnny's Fish Fry, and soon I found out why.

The man running it was old and as greasy as the food we served with eyes like a hawk and a disgusting odor. I did not like working with the fryers and getting oil stains all over my shirt, going home at the end of the day smelling like burnt fish, but it was much better than having his beady eyes on… my lady parts.

I was at least helping to bring money in, helping Freddie to pay for all of our necessities. Being the alpha meant being part of the council, which you got paid for. The reservation was not even close to wealthy or anything of the sort though, and it didn't support us fully. Freddie tried to shield me from knowing but I could see it.

I wanted to help even more than just working at Fish Fry; I didn't want to be shielded from anything at all. I had been shielded and hidden from every possible thing that was inappropriate or could upset me and I was, well, tired of it. I yearned to get the full picture, and Freddie realized that soon enough.

Freddie had been smiling a little more now that I made it clear I loved it when he did. He always smiled when I got home from work, and in turn I smiled at him when he got in from his own work. We would always kiss and cuddle and… Scratch that: we would always kiss and cuddle, nothing else.

And like I mentioned before, I was craving more by the time I turned seventeen only two weeks ago, and the yearning seemed to only increase each day, much to my distress. I had no idea what I was feeling, and this time I couldn't go to Soledad, who was my sister in almost every way, or even Freddie, who was now avoiding those talks like the plague. The desire was like molten lava under the surface burning my stomach with every touch and threatening to erupt painfully.

My thoughts of the past were interrupted as Freddie strode into my bedroom, shirtless and shoeless. His abs rippled and my mouth immediately became dry. He dropped next to me and softly kissed my temple, before moving down to my lips. I wished my stupid hand had enough courage to reach up and grab his hair, and that my tongue would poke out and taste his lips, but before I could even consider actually

doing so, he pulled back.

Frustration leaked into my expression and he sat back, looking confused and calculating as he studied me. He always studied me... I found it rather intimidating, but also... cute? No, cute was not the right world. I don't know what it was…

My stomach tightened dramatically as I finally found the right word: sexy. Freddie was unbelievably, indescribably, sexy.

I turned my face away from him, trying to hide the burning red blush now rolling across my cheeks. He seemed surprised by this, and his hand cupped my cheek automatically, forcing my chin to jut upward so my eyes met his. The warm milk chocolate soothed me immediately. It was like looking into the sun, scorching hot but it wasn't too bright; you could look straight in and be greeted by only pleasantness and ease.

I scooted closer and placed my hand on his chest, my fingers tracing over the indents and valleys of his muscles. His eyes widened for a moment and then he started to move away from me… I snapped.

I was so tired of not moving forward, of feeling like he was rejecting me even though my heart said that he was just as nervous as I, and most of all I was sick of having to hide all of the things I wanted to do with him, to experience.

So this time, I didn't think about it before my hand snapped up and grabbed his hair, forcing his mouth to mine. He seemed shocked and let me move my lips gently over his… until my tongue very slowly poked through, getting a taste of his lips. They tasted so good, that I practically growled when he jerked back.

"Mari-" he murmured, his eyes still wide as saucer plates. I shook my head roughly and then lunged towards him again, smashing my mouth against his. I got no response, and instead of trying harder I pulled back, dropping my eyes.

"You don't want to be with me that way at all, do you?" I cringed, bringing my legs to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I hung my head in shame when he didn't reply right away.

His hand started stroking my back, and as I cautiously snuck a look at him, I was enraged to find that he was smiling. He chose to do that now? He could have done it yesterday or the day before or even tomorrow, but not now, not at this moment! Tears stung my eyes as I roughly pushed up from the bed and stormed out of the room.

I felt Freddie get up behind me and follow me to the kitchen where I leaned against the counter, crossing my arms as he approached, still smiling.

"Maribel… I'm sorry for upsetting you. I just… I just find it rather…amusing that you would ever believe I wouldn't want to be with you in any way possible," he whispered slowly, crouching down so we were eye to eye yet again.

My breath caught in my throat as he leaned in, impossibly sluggish and even a little hesitant, though I suspected he was giving me room to back away from him if I wanted to. Our lips met for the third time and I responded immediately, opening my mouth and trailing my tongue across his lips, asking for him to do the same. He did.

I grinned hugely as our tongues flitted around each other and I tasted more of him, more of his perfection. I let out a moan of pleasure as his hand traveled up the indent of my waist to the side of my breast, his fingers resting inches from my hardening nipple.

I hardly realized what was happening as I backed him up to the table and he laid flat on top of it, pulling me on top of him. My knees found their way to either side of Freddie's waist, supporting my weight so my breasts were pressed to his bare chest.

His hands flew back to my waist, and in turn I placed my own over his, guiding them to the waistband of my pants. He froze for a moment before his fingers snuck under it, gently tugging as if asking for permission.

He flipped me over so he was now on top of me, kneeling on the table because his hands were slowly twisting my shorts off. With one last pull, they were on the floor and he was staring at my plain pink panties.

I had never really experienced the wetness that was gathering there, and I was a little embarrassed by it. I started to close my legs which were currently spread apart. Freddie's hands stopped me as he shook his head, looking up and mouthing the word 'amazing' to me before one of his hands disappeared.

I shuddered as he started to rub the soft material of my underwear, squirming as the need to be near him became greater. He began to rub circles, harder and harder until I could not keep in the yelp of anxiety.

He smirked and shifted so his stiff member was pressed against my thigh. I ground my teeth together and arched my back so my stomach was rubbing against it.

I had no vacillation in grabbing the hem of my shirt and ripping it over my head so only my white bra was visible. It wasn't special, but Freddie seemed not to care as he unclasped it.

I got more and more self-conscious as he stared at my almost completely naked body, but didn't move. Finally one of his hands reached and found my breast, cupping it gently as he nipped at it, his tongue scorching searing pleasure through my body as it flitted around.

I moaned again, fiery hot spikes of heat wrapping around my body and making me jerk and flail my limbs when he ripped off my panties. I was shocked for a moment and froze up, and in that second he panicked.

"Oh shit, oh shit I'm so sorry!" he said, suddenly miserable and halfway across the room. I was still panting, lying on the table completely naked, and now one hundred percent fed up.

"Freddie, get the fuck back here... I want you. I want you now," I demanded. He had never heard me swear before, and maybe that's part of what convinced him to come back over and kneel on the floor so his head was positioned next to my wet center.

I scooted forward slightly and managed to make my toes hook around his shorts. I pushed them down and they fell to the floor.

I stared at his member for a terribly short amount of time, but it was nice. I knew I would never see anything like it, anything as amazing as his naked body. He scooted forward all too soon, so I could only see his head, although I wasn't complaining all too much; his eyes were equally as intoxicating.

He licked his lips, shuddering. "I can't believe how…wet…" he seemed unable to finish his sentence as he felt between my spread legs. I arched my back and grabbed his hair, holding myself up as he began.

I had never wanted to learn much about sex. I knew that there may be some pain, but I had never imagined it would be to this extent… yet, I would never, ever want Freddie to stop because the pleasure was so much…more than that.

My toes curled as I let out profanities in rapid Spanish, though I never let up my grip on his hair, holding him in place and guiding his movements at the same time.

The pain increased as the pleasure did, and the balloon that must have been inside me was growing larger, filling and filling with the two. I jerked and shrieked my vision blurring out as the heat became overwhelming. It was a good thing I had turned the fan on, or I would have fainted…

And then, I let out the loudest scream I could manage as the balloon grew too large, too big… and it popped.

The pain was still there, but I could barely keep track of it as ecstasy rolled through me. I emitted more squeaks and my body jerked one last time before I fell to the table, panting and shuddering. I was astonished, completely and immeasurably, as Freddie fell on top of me again, kissing me again and again until my lips were sore.

Suddenly, he moaned and jerked so he was over me and his member was positioned again at my entrance. I eagerly arched my back again so he was inside a little, and that seemed to be the only invitation he needed to thrust forward.

I shrieked a little, and this time I could see him cringe at my pain, so I pressed my palm to his cheek, encouraging him to go on. He thrust again, and I moaned as he got deeper.

The pain was greater, but so was the bliss… it consumed every inch of me as he got deeper and his thrusts got more and more until the table was sliding back and forth with us, the legs scraping against the white tile floor.

The balloon was inflating again growing larger, and I could feel his member pulsating now, and then… both of us, burst.

We collapsed at the same time, his hot body covering every inch of my sweaty one so I felt all of his crevices and bumps and imperfections, though there was barely an inch of mishap on his body. The rest was completely right, utterly perfect.

He was magnificent, every part of his body shining and in that moment I knew that I would never want to leave his side, never. I wanted to be with him forever; be able to join together like this again and again, as much as we desired and as often.

He was part vampire, which meant he was immortal. He wouldn't be able to stop phasing and start aging again… No, that was impossible.

I took a deep breath, because I made up my mind in a second: I was going to be a vampire.

The realization had me spinning in circles, but, temporarily, I pushed the idea out of my head. I wanted to live now, to experience the joy that was emitting off of Freddie in this moment.

He let out a huge laugh, flipping over so he was on top of me again, kissing my forehead and relaxing over my body, his arms cradling my chest against his. I could sleep forever in his hold.

He shifted so we were next to each other rather than top and bottom, when all of a sudden, we heard a crack.

Freddie and I both froze, looking at each other in shock. Suddenly, we heard another snap and were sliding across the surface, down to the floor. We landed with a thump on our backs, still staring at each other in shock. A blush spread across my cheek and down my breasts and shoulders to my stomach.

"Uh, Freddie, did we just break the table?"

* * *

Thanks to: CreepsofWrath; JaspersGoldenEyes; Tasminia; VampireNick009; CiciCecily; Chastity Cullen; someone; dll10; ari11990; intiMACYx33; Evil-Angel-23; TexasWild; agh0986; AudraluvsEmmett; traceygoody1; ravenwhitlock33; kmddeprez1122; distracted procrastination; .; bratkaren; Stina Whatever; myoung228; AsargiMelody; random miss saranda clearwater; suzmac33; Suria17 for reviewing, and another big one to laurazuleta18 for reviewing and also being awesome in general!

Did you like the ending? :D


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